May 1: Darfur and election endorsements

By Published by The Editorial Board

Published: May 1, 2008

We can stop this genocide

To the editor:
I was one of the 40 people at the rally for Darfur on April 19. On that day, we came together to pray for and to remember the thousands of people who have been affected by the rape, murder and violence in Darfur. Those people have lost their family members, their homes and their churches. Many survivors are forced to live in refugee camps, not knowing if their loved ones are dead or alive.
Yes, the turnout for the Danville event was low. In fact, I have found that many people in Danville have never even heard of Darfur. If Darfur is covered by the press, the issue is often relegated to the back pages. Therefore, the purpose of our rally was to bring the issue into the public’s eye, to educate and to show the people of Danville that they can help end the atrocities occurring in Darfur.
Some people have said America does not have a vested interest in Darfur, so why should we care? But since when do we have to have a political or economic interest in a country to care about the suffering and violence occurring in that country? Is it not our duty to love our neighbor? Indifference is not an option in this day and time.
We should not forget that genocide is often fueled by prejudice and inequality and, while the word genocide may be new to our vocabulary, this is not the first genocide in history. The Holocaust and the genocide that occurred in Rwanda during 1994 are just two examples of past genocides — but there are others.
Holocaust survivor and expert on the topic of genocide, Dr. Ervin Staub, theorizes that individuals and groups can limit, stop and even prevent violence and encourage helpful actions by their words, actions and example. The United States turned its back on Rwanda while 700,000 Tutsis were killed in 1994. Today, let’s not turn our backs on Darfur. Let’s not remain passive, for turning our backs on injustice only encourages the perpetrators.
The Southside Darfur Project hopes to have future events. I encourage people to attend these events in order to understand better the crisis in Darfur. Take the time to listen to the victims and you will understand why Danville should care about Darfur.

SHERRI TUCK
Danville

To the editor:
A few weeks ago, someone wrote a letter to the editor that we should consider carefully which City Council candidate we should support. I have done that and I have decided that one of my votes will be for Larry Campbell.
I have known Larry for many years and I know he is a man of integrity and he cares deeply about the welfare of our city and all the residents. I had the opportunity to work with Larry in the 1990’s when he helped organize the Stop the Violence Festival. I also worked with Larry on the gun buy-back program, another program aimed at reducing crime in our city.
I know that he is an active volunteer with our schools and that he volunteers weekly to assist children who are struggling in school, especially those that seem to have discipline problems. He works closely with our educators and knows the importance of a well- trained work force.
Larry, in my opinion, is a vote for progress. He is very interested in reducing our unemployment rate and his ideas for strengthening our local businesses and industries are ones that I agree with. He will work to recruit new jobs. Larry will be a strong supporter of economic development and education.
I also know Larry is a man of God and his value system of doing the right thing and always keeping God first is important to me.
I know that Larry Campbell will be new to City Council, but he is not lacking in experience. He has been involved in this community for many years. I have served with him this year alone on the Riverview Rotary fund-raising committee, Big Brothers Big Sisters board of directors, the food distribution Christmas Dinner, the Community Improvement Council and the Boys and Girls Club. I know he cares about our community and is willing to work to make it a better place to live.
After careful consideration, one of my votes will be for Larry Campbell.

JOHN GILSTRAP
Danville

To the editor:
To this date, very little information has come forth regarding the upcoming Danville School Board election. It is true that in the past, these elections have not been on the front burner because the number of persons running for office equaled the number of seats available on the board. This election is slightly different. There are additional candidates. Someone will lose this election.
One of the candidates for re-election is Malcom Huckabee, the former vice president and academic dean at Averett University. While I was associated with Danville Public Schools, it was my good fortune to work with Huckabee on many occasions. From those contacts, I found him to be very knowledgeable about matters of public education and to be a strong student advocate. In addition, he saw the wisdom of long-term planning and the necessity to have that planning coincide with the needs of students.
Danville is on the threshold of economic advancement. Not only must we train our students for the work force, but we must also prepare many for the rigors of higher education. Malcom Huckabee sees the big picture for Danville. His re-election to the Danville School Board will ensure a continuity of progress and leadership. 

KENNETH M. MILLER
Danville