# New Beginnings: A Speech, won 1st place



## Sizzorhandz

In the country we live in we have great opportunities to succeed and to make ourselves better. We get to go to school everyday and learn, we have food ready in grocery stores and if you lose your job the government will help you get back on your feet. We live with the reassurance that if we need help, it will be there. In some countries it is the opposite, the government is only operating to further itself, the people of the country matter little to them. An example of this is Darfur, a small region in Sudan Africa.
By using the Four Way Test in our everyday lives we improve relationships because we think about our actions and the consequences of those actions, not only for us but all that are involved. We use the rotary test to ask the questions, Is it the Truth, Is it Fair to all Concerned, Will it build Goodwill for All Involved, and Will it be beneficial to all concerned. I wonder what would happen if the President applied the Four Way Test to the Genocide in Darfur. 
The first test is whether it’s the truth or not. Well, Genocide is defined as the deliberate and systematic destruction in whole or part of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group. In 2003, two groups of Muslim rebels protested being oppressed by Arabs. The Government’s response was to hire a group of mercenaries called, the Janjaweed. To date over 400,000 civilians have been killed and 2.5 million have been displaced from their homes. You may not want to recognize it, but genocide is an unfortunate truth, one that we have had to face before.
In the 1930’s and 40’s a very influential man named Hitler set in motion the most heinous crime ever committed. He set out to completely destroy the Jewish race. Death Camps were set up all over to send them to. Upon arrival you were either sent to work until you died of starvation or to the gas chambers, where you were immediately put to death. In this way Hitler and Nazi Germany killed 11 to 17 million people. The World response to this was outrage, many countries battled the Communists and eventually Nazi Germany fell. Now I have to pose the question, why hasn’t the response to Darfur been the same?
You can see that genocide in and of itself, is unfair to everyone involved. Thus, this leads to the 2nd test is it fair to all concerned? Ask the people of Darfur who have lost mothers, brothers, husbands and daughters. I don’t understand why we haven’t put a stop to the genocide in Darfur, when we are putting so much into the Afghanistan/Iraqi war. I think that if Darfur held a resource like oil, gold, or diamonds; we would be in there getting business done. It is unfair to the civilians; they are caught up in the middle of a war they have no desire to be a part of. In July of 2008 the President in Sudan was charged with three counts of Genocide, five counts of crimes against humanity, and two counts of murder. Eventually the counts of Genocide were dropped even though over 400, 000 people have been lost to this senseless act of violence. 
The third questions if the 4 Way Test is will it build good will and better friendships? An ending of the genocide in Darfur would build good will and better lives for the people, not only there but in the surrounding countries. In the United States Declaration of Independence it states
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, — That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.”
We formed as a nation to abolish the mindless acts of violence caused by the power that governments have over their civilians. I think that we should be coming together to help forge a new government for Darfur, one that will secure the rights for them that our own Government holds so dear to heart. This would improve the lives of the Darfurians and the civilians of the countries they have fled to.
The finale test is will it be benificial to all concerend? We create problems for ourselves, warring with neighbors fighting about inconsequential problems. Ending not only the genocide in Darfur, but the genocide of millions of people happening around the world for whatever reason, would benefit humanity as a whole. When we can stop worrying about the welfare of a small fraction of humanity we can focus on larger problems that are facing us. We create problems for ourselves, warring with neighbors fighting about inconsequential problems. 
I think that if the Darfurian government had applied the four way test to the uprising, if they hadn’t tried to suppress the Muslims in the region, a lot of people would be alive ans able to persuit life, liberty, and happiness. I think that if the United States Government would apply the Rotery Four Way test we would be celebrating the liberation of a new Darfur and humanity would be greatly improved. 

What did you think?


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## pikmenbattlehealer

Simple answer to first 3rd of essay. We abuse chickens in conentration camps so that they will be tender and juicy and be eddible for us. This is all an ENTP/ENTJ's easy level of fluency to understand genocide??im really just assuming. However, it is just their T aspect that follows normal rules, and that dislikes the taste of societally held taboo subjects. Thus---homosexuality, cannibalism, racism, and ect will come off as very insulting to them unless i guess they get warmed up to it first. 

Back to genocide-----the best of human beings act like army ants, or skilled bees. That is in a way--the Mr. Rogers gone dictator type of view. So what is more accurate---? I see hugley fat people, easily duped political voters, higher incidence of disease isn't so bad when gene quality falls---since in technological countries--it is the computer that does more work and lifting ultimately. Ah, but we also require higher brain function? Oh, genetics is one of the most confusing topics around--so my reference was just the observation i see of wild bugs---gene quality for them is something that gets tested the minute they hatch. Even their missing of an arm or eye or coloration---won't mean they die. Some seem to compensate with alternative genes that make them be more bold than their more physically complete insect brotherine. Oh--as for politically foolable populaces----let them die like turkeys in a farm or as wild hunted game*ie wars. To say that would exclude our present genetic way of existing--ie, the F quality of our nature. Give it a thousand years and a different planet of living environment, like mars. Is that being way too dreaming/off or reality?


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## Honey Apple Jones

So, what I gather from this, Genocide in Darfur, Sudan | Darfur Scorecard, and your blog, is that the issue ultimately lies in the hands of Darfur's government, but the lack of international support as a whole coupled with the instability of their politics has allowed this genocide to continue. As of late, it seems that nothing has been done. 

From these facts alone, I wholeheartedly agree with your sentiments, but I can honestly say that I have no idea what I'm supposed to do as an individual. Maybe I don't have to stand alone on this, it's obvious that there are others who are fully aware of the dangers going on on that side of the world. However, what solution do you propose?


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