Desperate People and The World

It seems that the horrible stuff never stops. People are dieing again. People are running again – fleeing the possible fighting that is threatening their home area. Now as they flee they die of starvation and disease that easily takes over their safe route out.

I am contrasting this article’s Title with that of yesterday on purpose by changing two words – “People” for “Housewife” and removing the word “Series”. With that very small change it carries you from the complicated over blown actions of people watching and playing baseball in Philadelphia to the Border town of Goma, in the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Instead of some famous baseball player getting a super homerun in a World Series game, you have General Laurent Nkunda leading his people. He is tall and lean, wears glasses and is University educated in Psychology. He is also leading a band of believers in what he is claiming to be a cause. He has been declared a rebel and against the peace of his government. He is a bad man in the controlling party’s eyes. In his followers eyes he is a hero.

Sitting in your small area of the world, where you travel perhaps a few kilometres or miles to work and play, what does it have to do with you?

Well where it is happening is right across the border from the country of Uganda and Rwanda. It is situated right at the cross over of the three country’s borders.

Uganda and Rwanda are only associated with movies that we have watched. For the people that live there it is associated with horrors of over 800,000 people having died not far from where they live. The wars in these other countries have subsided from world view. There may be no one else to kill there – or the world opinion is just too much against the unpopular leaders.

When you “Google Earth” The Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda and Uganda – you will see the close proximity of the three countries and the man made boundaries that come on to the screen. From the start of time these boundaries and borders didn’t exist. They are lines on maps where political powers and strong men say, “This is mine and that is yours – don’t you dare cross over!”

The inter tribal and people group conflicts are much older than Google Maps… and even the UN Peacekeepers – 17,000 strong in that area fighting the General Laurent Nkunda’s rebel army.
The short video clip included in the BBC report today shows a small segment of the 20,000 refugees walking away from the area. Not driving – WALKING. Young and old people flooding the roadway to get away from the area before the Rebel’s arrive and bullets from the UN Troops and Rebels fly over head.

The one thing that catches my attention, General Laurent Nkunda’s men are well dressed as soldiers and have some very big guns, they drive large tanks and are well armed. Where do they get their ARMY STUFF from? Who pays for it? Is General Laurent Nkunda really rich? Or is there more to the story – a larger interest involved here – maybe more politics, oil reserves, or religion?

If you have read this far you are likely scratching your head and I have lost you. The feeling that comes from thinking people are dieing is not nice. The sense that another major world tragedy is about to be revealed is more than we want. The thoughts that are uncomfortable are not what I need today… give me something happy, uplifting, sunny, bright… a YIPPEE feeling would be nice Murray – come on!

Why bother with this issue?

For me it is really important. This is November and on the 11th we will remember the people that we have sent to a war far, far away. We do this so we won’t forget the death of people that we did not know.

I have six grandkids now that are well on their way to walking into a world – to do something with their lives. In reality I have 6 potential people that are very important to me – that could go into a war zone somewhere in about 8 to 15 years from now. They could be soldiers, peacekeepers, or medical personnel in a war zone.

That brings it very close to home for me. These kids care. They were trained that way.

Murray, Murray, Murray – get a life. Stop thinking about grey things… okay?

"Okay, Okay… Perhaps if it doesn’t rain tonight in Philadelphia we can get back to baseball and finish that really important game of all games… and if that game isn’t on – is it Dancing with the Stars or CSI?"

God help us all.

~ Murray Lincoln ~
Source
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/7696958.stm#infographic
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3786883.stm
http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=-1.2304478,29.414828&z=8&t=h&hl=en