The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated

For too long now, the world has stood idly by while almost half a million people in the Darfur region of Sudan have been murdered in the genocide being carried out by the janjaweed militia. The slaughter has raged for a while now, but the feeble response of the international community has emboldened the janjaweed and they have taken their murderous ways into neighboring Chad.

While some of this slaughter has been racially fueled (Arabs attempting to eliminate the various African tribes of the region in order to take over the land) some of it is being carried out by mercenaries who are offered money by the Sudanese government. The idea of hiring mercenaries to slaughter these innocent people (women, children, and infants included) is abhorrent, but the fact that the money is sorely needed to provide medical care, food, and housing to this area inhabited by the poor makes the practice all the more unconscionable. That some of these mercenaries are members of the same tribes they are hired to attack, showcases the extent of the problem. If they are being attacked by their government and members of their own tribes, they stand little chance without external intervention.

It was back in 2003 when the Arab-controlled Sudanese government first started brutalizing the poor black African population, who distressed by the undemocratic nature of their government attempted a rebellion. Thus was the beginning of the conflict in the region. Since then, the Arab militia, known as the janjaweed have continued to rape, murder, and in general, terrorize the people of Sudan. The expansion of their horrifying actions over the border into Chad has been fueled by the desire of the Sudanese government to create enough instability there to install an Arab-friendly puppet government.

Thus far, approximately 400,000 people have died and a further 2.5 million people have been displaced. Some estimates put the continuing deaths at 500 per day. Those who remain, live in constant fear of violent assaults or death by murder or disease. The region’s instability has prevented many of the usual aid-bearing organizations (such as the U.N. or the Red Cross) from providing any help. The only help they’ve received is from Doctors without Borders (Medecins sans Frontieres) and some limited media coverage, the most high profile of which has been provided by Nicholas Kristof of The New York Times and Ann Curry’s latest feature on NBC’s Today Show. These brave people and organizations have gone into this region at great risk to themselves to provide either medical care or a voice to those who are gravely in need of it, but they can’t do it all.

Although the world vowed that such genocide would never occur again (both after the Holocaust in Europe and again after the atrocities we witnessed in Rwanda) and despite some media coverage (we are aware of the problem and that should be sufficient enough to get us to send over some support for these people) the governments of the developed world have sat on their hands.

If President Bush was at all serious about his vow to bring democracy to the world and to help those who need help, he would do something about this crisis. If there ever was a region in need of his attention, Darfur is it. No, there is no chance that the Sudanese government has WMDs and no, Sudan does not have oil-rich fields. But people are dying horrible deaths there and it is morally reprehensible that despite the amount of money we invest in the military on an annual basis, we have not afforded any aid to these people.

Please urge our government to do something by signing the petition at:
http://www.MillionVoicesForDarfur.org
It takes less than a minute and could ultimately make a huge difference.

Another link that provides more information on the situation:
http://www.genocideintervention.net/index.php

Posted by Sam Clemens at 07:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (1) | TrackBacks (0)

It was just another night in Philadelphia. Under the Friday night lights at the Wachovia Center, Allen Iverson dropped 47 points and a dozen assists on the Washington Wizards, helping boost his team to victory. In doing so he became the player with the fifth highest number of 40+ point games during his career. As Iverson turned himself into the human highlight reel – Dominique who? – he faked out defenders with moves so electrifying and clever they fell over and nearly broke their ankles in trying to predict his next step. His ball-handling skills were beyond compare, as he switched hands with aplomb, redefined the cross-over dribble, the stutter-step, the head-fake, the double-clutch. No defender could guess where the ball was going, what Iverson was thinking, how he was going to beat his man this time. He even stole the ball with his torso and then scored on the possession with a crowd-pleasing dunk. A dunk from a 6’0” shooting guard who already has a host of skills in his repertoire. In the midst of putting on this show of his own 1-on-1 skills, he dished the ball to his teammates in some equally Sportscenter-worthy moments. You got the sense that the 47-point game was secondary to Iverson – here he was putting on a clinic but he had a single-minded purpose: elevate his team, look for the best shot, and create the best opportunity for the team, not just himself. It was clear that everyone around him responded to his energy levels – on the same night Chris Webber had an outstanding game in his own right.

Thus completes the evolution of AI – from talented punk to NBA legend.

A few days prior to that performance (which was one of many superlative performances in a row for Iverson), he was passed over in the selection of a USA national basketball team – the same team of players who will represent the US at the 2008 Summer Olympics to be held in Beijing, China. Allen Iverson, who has publicly stated his desire to play for country and honor, was denied even a try-out.

The reasons Iverson should’ve been named to the team go beyond his abilities on the basketball court.

 One criticism of many outstanding players is that they may be good in their own right but not able to play as team, but Iverson has proven that he is able to make those around him better. A prime example of this is the development of AI and C-Webb as one of the most effective double acts in the NBA, if not the best. Even if the selection committee wants to put together a “team” rather than sporting a roster of individually talented guys, Iverson has shown that he is not a selfish player.
 Iverson is in the midst of arguably his best season since he started in the NBA a decade ago. Though he will humbly declare that his best season was back when he carried the 76ers to the NBA championships, his stats speak for themselves. He is not only averaging more points per game (5.5 more points than his career average) and is sporting the highest field goal percentage he ever had during his NBA tenure. Additionally, his assist to turnover ratio (at 2.24) and his assist + steal to turnover ratio (at 2.85) are the highest of his career. His number of personal fouls per game (at 1.70) is also at a career low. He’s gotten smarter and more efficient as he’s gotten more experienced. In short, Iverson excels in every aspect of the game and to ignore a player as good as he is when he’s playing the best basketball of his life is unforgivable.
 Iverson is not the youngest player in the league and given his history of injuries, though he has a propensity to play through the pain, not being named to this team forces him to wait another 6 years before the opportunity to play for his country comes up again. At that point, well into his thirties, there is no guarantee that he will be the player he is today, nor that he will necessarily be this side of retirement.
 Iverson’s involvement in the All-Star game, cheering on his fellow players (screaming “we was robbed!” when Sixer teammate Andre Iguodala didn’t win the slam dunk contest), should provide us with a preview of how he would act on a national team. Iverson has only become more involved in the NBA franchise and has transformed himself into a worthy poster child for the NBA. Whereas some players recede from the glare of the media spotlight and refuse to participate in anything above the minimum required activities, Iverson has seemingly become more accessible and appears to increasingly enjoy the game and interacting with his fellow NBA players.
 With many players unsure, indifferent, or actively refusing to play, naming a player to the team who genuinely wants to represent his country would be good for morale and would perhaps inspire others.
 Iverson handled the snub in an extremely classy manner. While he could have by all rights screamed about how he deserved a spot on that roster, he accepted it and just went about his business – that business being stunning everyone with his subsequent performances on the basketball court.
 Iverson is one of the most interesting players the NBA has right now. He’s fun to watch and a crowd favorite, not just in Philadelphia, but across the nation and around the world. He would make a great basketball and American ambassador.
 The players who have been invited by the selection committee have only been invited to try-out for the team. Not all of these players will make the final team and one would expect that the decision will be made according to which players play best with each other. Iverson deserves an invite to at least be able to try-out for the team; even if ultimately it’s determined his game doesn’t mesh with the other potential members of the team, at the very least he is owed the opportunity to attempt to prove himself worthy of the spot (again).
 On the last national team, of which Iverson was captain, he was the one bright spot on any otherwise lackluster roster. He’s played international ball before and proven that he’s up to the task. The new team would benefit from his experience.

The current Reebok commercial starring Iverson runs through a list of the numerous and various injuries that have afflicted him over the course of his career ending with the words: a decade later, stronger than ever. Anyone even vaguely following Allen Iverson’s career should be able to see how his game has improved from the raw skills he possessed at Georgetown to the complete player he is now. To deny him the chance of competing on the US national team is to deny a deserving player the chance to represent his nation and a shot at the gold medal he sincerely desires, and it denies the world the chance to be enchanted by this future Hall-of-Famer for just a little longer.

Posted by Sam Clemens at 06:23 PM | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)