ABOUT GENOCIDE - DEAR MR. PRESIDENT - WHERE IS SENATOR OBAMA?

Here are three messages sent to President Obama recently

#9 email sent to President Obama during the grassroots Sudan Sham 2010 grassroots campaign

March 5, 2010

It is not that we can’t make a difference, it is that we choose not to make a difference. What will our legacy be? Will our legacy be any different than all the others that tolerated genocides that this planet has hosted? Sandra Hammel

Dear President Obama,

I have been working as a community organizer, leading my state regarding the issue of raising awareness and moving people to use their voices to get our leaders to have the political will to prevent and end genocide since 2004. I am frustrated with your administration’s placating words, promises, little proof of observable resolve and lack of leadership. From the rhetoric during your campaign, I expected much more. I have a Darfuri associate who like me works to bring awareness of what is going on, but he has actual daily contacts with Darfuris still in Sudan. The news has not been good leading up to these elections to take place in April. The intimidations being used by the government of Sudan is horrifying and certainly these elections are not going to be free and fair. Bashir will only “use” these elections to say to the world in effect “See, world, we had an election and I won, so I am legitimate.” Only we know different.

Mohamed Suleiman helped me with this translation:

If you want peace, work for justice

إذا كنت تريد السلام ، أعمل من أجل العدالة

Please, don’t forget the marginalized Darfuri people, Mr. President. They know everything you have ever said or neglected to say about their situation.

Here is a Darfuri saying, that Mohamed shared with me:

Nowhere to hide for those who take else's life

يا كاتل الروح وين بتروح

"Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has." Margaret Mead

Sincerely yours,

Sandra Hammel

Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI

Leading Rhode Island in Sudan Sham 2010 campaign

See 50 days of actions running up to the Sudan April 11, 2010 Elections at the website:

http://sudansham2010.org/

GENOCIDE WILL only STOP WITH US - Our leaders have taught us this

My twitter:

@ilovemylife5

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#7 email sent to President Obama

March 2, 2010

Dear President Obama,

With April elections fast approaching, it is clear that conditions on the ground are neither free nor fair. Please directly show us your leadership in the Sudan ongoing genocide. Fundamental human rights and civil rights have been violated and have escalated running up to the April 11, 2010 Sudan elections. There is a real danger for resumption of full-out war between the north and south, and the genocide in Darfur continues on your watch, with millions of people living in squalid camps and exposed to horrible violence. The time for credible multilateral consequences in support of genuine democratic processes and verifiable commitment to peace is now. The US must lead.

Furthermore, the types of situations such as in Sudan create the very places for terrorists to meet and organize, which means it is in our own interest to bring peace to this multi-year genocide.

Thank you for your political will to make a difference with this deeply defining issue.

Sincerely yours,

Sandra Hammel

Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI

Leading Rhode Island in Sudan Sham 2010 campaign

My twitter:

@ilovemylife5

Facebook: Sandra Hammel

the "Sandra Hammel" currently with the Red, White and Blue Sudan Sham Election 2010 avatar

GENOCIDE WILL only STOP WITH US - Our leaders have taught us this

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVsvZPry_0Y

My January 1, 2010 video for the Darfuri people

INGREDIENTS OF A GENOCIDE - PERPETRATORS, UNARMED CITIZENS AND A WORLD THAT TURNS THE OTHER WAY

"The Most Important Office is That of Private Citizen" Louis D. Brandeis

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#4 email sent to President Obama

February 27, 2010

Dear President Obama,

Enough Project's recent paper, A Peace Process Play-by-Play, includes the following two paragraphs that are very relevant to the USA grassroots Sudan Sham 2010 campaign that I am participating in daily:

President Bashir is also deeply focused on using the April 2010 national elections as a means to legitimize himself, help fend off war crimes charges from the International Criminal Court, and minimize threats to his rule within his own party. A “successful” election in Darfur, ironically financed in no small part by the international community, would allow Bashir to again argue that he should not be held accountable for his repeated and flagrant violations of international law.

It is also clear from comments of the U.S. special envoy that President Bashir hopes to use the JEM agreement to pave the way for lifting of U.S. sanctions. One can only hope that any consideration of altering the current sanctions regime is based on demonstrable changes on the ground, as per the U.S. policy on Sudan, not simply the willingness for Khartoum to sign a piece of paper.

To those of us citizens who are up-to-date of what takes place in Sudan, we feel we are more concerned than our leaders. “We ARE the ones we have been waiting for” as you said while campaigning to be our President, but we also need our leaders to lead in matters of such importance.

President Obama, I know you are working on many important issues. I support the “public option” in the health care reform. I am thoroughly appalled by the misbehaving congress people who are more inclined to “play games” than to do the work that we deserve to be done. And the media so often ill-informs us, when we so need to be informed. On and on. However, letting this issue regarding crimes against humanity, genocide and victims languishing for far too long - go on and on, while you are in a position that could make the difference is unacceptable.

Please, go into your heart and contemplate better ways to deal with this deeply defining issue. These are our brothers and sisters and we must not forget all of the genocides in the past that when we felt safe that we weren’t going to be asked to do anything about them any longer, we have always said “Never Again”. And we know we don’t mean that, because we are letting it happen again on our watch.

Shame on us.

It is time to be who we can be. We can stop genocide. Yes we CAN.

Sincerely yours,

Sandra Hammel

Use Your Voice to Stop Genocide RI

Leading Rhode Island Sudan Sham 2010 campaign

GENOCIDE WILL only STOP WITH US

I contacted the President using Organization form:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/organizations