Fast-food lunch money

By Dimitri Vassilaros
TRIBUNE-REVIEW
Monday, October 3, 2005


The news release inadvertently spoke volumes about how misguided liberals can be even when they have the best intentions.
LOCAL LEADERS TO SPEAK AT DARFUR RALLY

Politicians, students, non-profit and community leaders to speak at rally for genocide in Darfur on Thursday, October 6, at 12:30.

For those against genocide in that hell hole, Thursday's lunch hour half-hour fast -- yes, 30 minutes -- is almost too easy to ridicule.

The Republic of the Sudan is the largest country in Africa, about quarter the size of the USA. Population, roughly 40 million. The western region of Darfur would cover California and part of Oregon. Population estimates are somewhat fluid since millions of innocents have been slaughtered or displaced because of the ethnic cleansing encouraged by their government.

The Pittsburgh Darfur Emergency Coalition is anticipating a crowd with high-profile local personalities at Mellon Square Park across from the Omni William Penn Hotel. All will be asked to forgo their noontime meals and donate the cost of the fast food to organizations providing humanitarian aid to Darfur's victims.

It is part of the International Solidarity Fast for Darfur with Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Bill Cosby, Bette Midler and others with high name recognition having reserved seating at the buffet of self-denial.

"We are not just fasting passively," said David Rosenberg, the local spokesman. "It's part of saying we care about this."

In addition to the humanitarian aid, the movement demands that President George W. Bush do something about the genocide. But not by providing arms to the victims so they can defend themselves.

The fasters hope Mr. Bush sends money, supplies and arms to the African Union so the pathetic Third World knock-off of United Nations peacekeeper troops can do something more than just observe the continuing carnage that -- this is a recurring theme -- befalls victims who cannot defend themselves.

"I just don't feel you have a plan in place to rescue people," Rosenberg said when asked why not just buy arms so the victims can fight back. "This (fast) is the way to help people. Sudan's government needs to be pressured. This needs to be continued. How many people have been saved by gunrunning? None that we know of."

Take a deep breath and really think about that statement.

Humanitarian aid certainly does not encourage genocide but it also does nothing to kill it. Guns, however, would.

And the left knows it.

It's tempting to offer nonstop proof how the gun, the great equalizer, influenced American history. However, patriotic examples might be lost on the "let's not do lunch" crowd on Thursday.

So let's speak the left's language. Guns enabled the Bolsheviks to rule the former Soviet Union, the Soviets to rule Eastern Europe, and Castro, Cuba.

Guns also empowered the Russians to defeat the Germans at Stalingrad, the North Vietnamese to defeat the French at Dien Bien Phu , and the Chinese to butcher their own citizens at Tiananmen Square.

And if the Spanish Republic had had enough weapons, those socialists might have defeated General Franco's four columns of Nationalist army troops.

Send enough guns to the victims of Darfur and they will not need your lunch money.

If you are going to the rally, remember to pack a lunch.

Dimitri Vassilaros can be reached at dvassilaros@tribweb.com or (412) 380-5637.