World history is full of moments that are forever frozen in time. Ask anyone who lived through the 60’s; they can more than likely tell you where they were when JFK, Robert Kennedy, or Martin Luther King Jr. were assasinated. I can easily recall where I was when the Challenger Space Shuttle exploded or when we declared war on Iraq under the first Bush presidency. Most recently we can all share our memories of September 11, 2001. These events make a mark on the fabric of humanity. Tonight, I believe, we have a new moment in time.
At 10:00 pm tonight Saddam Hussein was executed for crimes against his own people. Hussein was known for his cruel dictatorship and his legacy of fear. Almost 4 years since his capture and still some Iraqi’s feared his reach. He was, by some accounts, responsible for upwards of 2 million deaths of Iraqi Kurd, Shiite, and Sunni. He was a man who knew how to manipulate. He cast fear into the hearts of his opponents. He cut his enemies off at the knees and used intimidation to rule.
I began watching coverage of the impending events at 7 tonight. My friends and I would talk about the issues that arose from comments among special guests or news anchors. We were moved watching the reactions of the Iraqi people, in the US and in Iraq, as they finally felt there had been someone to hear their cries for help. Finally,someone had taken seriously the need to remove the tyrant from his seat of power. One thing I noticed throughout the coverage was most of the focus was on Saddam himself. Very little mention was made of those who were his victims. I found myself with a broken heart for their families, I wondered what their names were, why they became enemies of the state, what kind of lives they led, and who they loved.
These thoughts led me to think of all the other displaced people in the world. I thought about those who suffer genocide and civil war daily. There are those who are in political battles, religious battles, and racial battles all over the globe. My reaction: We must do what we can to help those in need. We must bring voices to those who cannot be heard and we must bring them the only real salvation from their turmoil.
One of my friends said that he felt we knew all we needed to about what Hussein had done during his reign. He went so far as to even say we don’t care. I was taken aback. First of all, because I believe we all have a duty to care for those around us and secondly, because I don’t think we have heard enough. I don’t believe that Americans really understand how blessed we are. I don’t believe that we understand the depth of persecution that takes place around the world. Thirdly, I hope that his thoughts about our carelessness are not true. I cannot imagine anything more detrimental than a lack of concern for our brothers and sisters. It is our duty, as the generation moving into positions of power to be aware, to be concerned, and to be active in doing our part to see tyranny come to an end.
We all have something we can do. Write a letter to your representatives; pick up the phone and give them a call; educate your friends and yourself about what happens in the rest of the world. I try to be socially aware but I believe I am about to get an education in how the world works and a front seat to it’s broken places. We have been given so much; if not for the grace of God we would be those being silenced, we could be those who were invisible. Please do what you can to shed light on those who are not seen. Support groups like Invisible Children, Compassion International, The Red Cross, One.org, and SO many more! We cannot let today’s events lose their weight in our memories. We must help those people count, we must take action to see that the actions of leaders like Saddam Hussein do not go unpunished.
Where do we begin?? PRAYER! We should definitely lift up our service men and women as they will face a heightened danger over the next few days and perhaps months.
