Knowers Blog

DARFUR DISASTER

We know about it, that makes us involved. Months ago President Bush called it genocide. Yet, nothing has been accomplished to stop the Sudan government from moving huge quantities of warfare equipment and troops to prepare for outright massive conflict against rebel tribes. It is an uneven and exploitive battle against an indigenous people who have traditionally been peaceful farmers.

For years harassment by Arab militia, called Janjaweed, have destroyed villages, killed men and boys, raped women, drove survivors into displaced persons camps. Over two million persons now depend on food, water and medical aid to survive. Now aid workers are being killed to the extent there is great risk in replacing them. Without their care – genocide will occur from starvation and disease.

That genocide is upon us now!

Each of us can write our Senators urging that body of elected officials to bring pressure on the United Nations, to declare the Sudanese government a Rogue State. That designation will allow the UN to partition-off the disputed areas, stop further attacks from both sides in the conflict and re-establish long-term protected care in the displaced persons’ camps.

The Sudanese government does not want the UN to intervene. The Sudanese government has lost its sovereignty in this matter, and the UN has the right to impose control and protection over the displaced persons. This situation is so grave the United States should take the lead to provide the first wave of force and air support, under UN auspices, while other African forces are recruited and deployed.

The eventual solutions to this crisis require a dedication to negotiations to create a new National Sudanese plan that grants and protects the rights of its citizens, including the sharing of natural resources revenue to help the people reclaim their lives on their own land again. Key to this will be a sensitive cultural accommodation that will train men to accept as partners women who were raped, and their children, so that new family units can be established to benefit all.  2:50 PM 0 comments

Stem Cell Research

Since the day the President vetoed the bipartisan bill authorizing Federal funds to support embryonic stem cell research, the issue has become quiet in the press. Yet, people continue to feel intensely that as time passes opportunities are being wasted that could resolve (heal) conditions like diabetes, possible neural problems of the brain, possibley spinal problems.

I am aware that many American Catholics do not subscribe to the Pope's belief that a human embryo is a child. That belief has set a boundary that conservative American politicians have adopted to please their conservative voter base. I think the time has come when conservative voices, who accept the premise that embryonic stem cell research is a field in medical science, need to make their views known. Their views are confirmed by the scientific biologist's view that conception occurs only when an embryo is emplanted in the wall of the womb. Prior to that time, the embryo, whether still is in a petrie dish where fertilization has occurred, or in a frozen state as a surplus embryo from an invitro fertilization procedure, is a physical being potential -- not a child.

There are over five million embryo's maintained in cryogenic deep freeze. Many are owned by donors who pay a fee for their retention. Should they choose not to continue this expense those embryos could be sold to the fertilization clinic, or destroyed. The clinic's interest in owning them is to hedge the possibility that at some future time a changed policy climate could make them available for embryonic stem cell reseach.  1:39 PM 0 comments

Welcome

My novel, The KNOWERS — First Move reflects my concerns about the nation’s domestic and social issues. They are so immense. There is such apathy on the one hand, and polarization of viewpoints on the other, that resolutions seem almost impossible. The story presented in this novel has a visualization of what could happen if, at the grassroots level, a few, then many, heed a call and commit themselves to solve these problems.

If, after reading The KNOWERS, people feel motivated to work toward the resolution of the serious problems we face today, resolution is most certainly possible.

  9:03 AM 0 comments