A Tribute to Humph

SOS from Zimbabwe
By John Winter

Terrible, terrible things are being done to the people of Zimbabwe by the communist thugs who rule the place. The Internet is a powerful tool and the only way that this madman and his henchmen are going to be brought to justice is if the whole world gangs up up on them and topples their evil bastion once and for all.

I reckon that these are the last days of TKM and ZPF. The darkest hour is always before dawn.

We are all terrified at what they are going to destroy next. I mean they are actually ploughing down brick-and-mortar houses and one family with twin boys aged 10 had no chance of salvaging anything when 100 riot police came in with AK-47s and bulldozers and demolished their beautiful house — with five bedrooms and pine ceilings — because it was “too close to the airport.” So we are feeling extremely insecure right now.

You know — I am aware that this does not help you sleep at night but, if you do not know, how can you help? Even if you put us in your own mental ring of light and send your guardian angels to be with us — that is a help. But I feel so cut off from you all knowing I cannot tell you what’s going on here simply because you will feel uncomfortable. There is no ways we can leave here so that is not an option.

I ask that you all pray for us in the way that you know how, and let me know you are thinking of us and sending out positive vibes. That’s all. You can’t just be in denial and pretend or believe it’s not going on.

To be frank with you, it’s genocide in the making. And, if you do not believe me, read the Genocide Report by Amnesty International which says we are at level 7 (level 8 is after it’s happened) and everyone is in denial.

If you don’t want me to tell you these things, how bad it is, then it means you have not dealt with your own fear. But it does not help me to think you are turning your back on our situation. We need you, please, to get the news OUT that we are all in a fearfully dangerous situation here. Too many people turn their backs and say, “Oh well. That’s what happens in Africa.

This Government has gone mad and you need to help us publicize our plight — or how can we be rescued? It’s a reality! The petrol queues are a reality, the pall of smoke all around our city is a reality, the thousands of homeless people sleeping outside in 0°C temperatures with no food, water, shelter and bedding are a reality.

Today, I was approached by a family with two small children. Their home was trashed and they will have to sleep outside. We already support eight adults and a child on this property and the cost of electricity is going up next month by 250 per cent, as is water.

How can I take on another family of four? And yet how can I turn them away to sleep out in the open?

I am not asking you for money or a ticket out of here — I am asking you to FACE the fact that we are in deep and terrible danger and want you please to pass on our news and pictures. Help best in the way that you know.

Do face the reality of what is going on here and help us send out the word. The more people who know about it, the more chance we have of the United Nations coming to our aid. Please don’t ignore or deny what’s happening. Some would like to be protected from the truth but then, if we are eliminated, how would you feel? “If only we knew how bad it really was we could have helped in some way.”

I know we chose to stay here and that some feel we deserve what’s coming to us.

For now, we ourselves have food, shelter, a little fuel and a bit of money for the next meal. But what is going to happen next? Will they start on our houses? All property is going to belong to the state now. I want to send out my title Deeds to one of you because if they get a hold of those, I can’t fight for my rights.

We no longer have shortwave radio, which used to tell us everything that was happening, because the government has jammed it out of existence. We don’t have any reporters and no one is allowed to photograph. If we had reporters here, they would have an absolute field day. Even the pro-government Herald has written that people are shocked, stunned, bewildered and blown mindless by the wanton destruction of many folks’ homes, which are alleged to be “illegal” although a huge percentage of them actually do have licenses.

“I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something; and because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something I can do.” — Edward Everett Hale

Please do have some compassion and HELP by sending out the articles and personal reports so that something may be done.

There is power in prayer. There is also power in more people knowing about this. The world needs to know what is going on. Please send this on to everyon in your address book. We send jokes out without blinking an eyelid. We don’t get told this on the news in South Africa, we only get told what they want us to hear. We all have a chance to do something, even though the something is by forwarding an e-mail to as many people as possible. Let’s stop talking and let’s start doing.

US Senate Votes to Award Aung San Suu Kyi Congressional Gold Medal

After thousands of supporters urged their Senators to support this campaign, the US Senate voted unanimously today to award Aung San Suu Kyi the nation’s highest civilian honor, the Congressional Gold Medal [The US House of Reps. has already voted 400 to 0]. Aung San Suu Kyi will be awarded the Congressional Gold Medal.

This is a historic vote because Aung San Suu Kyi is the first person in the 232-year history of the award to be granted the honor while imprisoned. And hopefully, with the vast international attention from this award, increased pressure will expedite her release.

By being awarded this honor, Aung San Suu Kyi joins the ranks of many great people in history including George Washington, Martin Luther King Jr., Elie Wiesel and Mother Theresa.

The Burmese military generals have tried to isolate Aung San Suu Kyi from her own people and from the international community by keeping her under house arrest for over 12 years. However, the generals, who control around 400,000 soldiers, are losing a battle with a single, unarmed woman. Her only tools are courage and loving kindness, yet she has captured the hearts and loyalty of the people of Burma.

Congress usually only gives one or two awards per year, and seldom to people overseas. In the entire history of the award (George Washington was granted the first award), only 30 people from other countries have been granted the award.

In a world where public heroes are few and far between, Daw Aung San Suu Kyi is one of the greatest people of our time; she richly deserves this award, an award that will show the people of Burma they are not alone in their struggle.

Kudos to Congressman Joseph Crowley (D-NY), who initiated this effort along with Congressman Don Manzullo (R-IL). In the US Senate, Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Mitch McConnell (R-KY) spearheaded, led, and worked very hard to award Aung San Suu Kyi this honor.

The US Campaign for Burma continues to shed light on Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for human rights and democracy in Burma.

Support 1991 Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi and the struggle for freedom and democracy in Burma. Become a member of the United States Campaign for Burma today.

Expelling All Reason

CFI’s Paul Kurtz Joins the Chorus of Critics Dismissing Ben Steins “Expelled” as Anti-Science Propaganda

The new anti-evolution film “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed” featuring Ben Stein, “anti-science propaganda” and an “exercise in anti-intellectualism at its worst,” according to Paul Kurtz, founder and chairman of the Center for Inquiry.

Kurtz said, “The social and scientific progress we take for granted has been advanced by a basic scientific and philosophical point of view. As this new film makes abundantly clear, the methods of the sciences, and the assumptions upon which they are based, are being challenged culturally in the United States with a renewed fervor. Despite its success in providing us with unparalleled benefits, anti-intellectual extremists seek to inhibit free inquiry and misrepresent the tested conclusions of scientific inquiry. This is a highly charged political issue, as science is under political attack. Regrettably, we seem not to have come far culturally since the Scopes “monkey” trial.”

CFI is particularly troubled by the fact that Stein and his producers apparently engaged in a shameless array of dirty tricks and dishonest tactics, among which many are detailed here by Scientific American. Even FOX News felt compelled to wax critical about the film, saying that the film is “a sloppy, all-over-the-place, poorly made ‘expose’ of the scientific community….showing that Stein, who’s carved out a career selling eye drops in commercials and amusing us on sitcoms, is either completely nuts or so avaricious that he’s abandoned all good sense to make a buck.”

In response, CFI’s Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI) has published a devastating critique of the film in the latest issue (May/June 2008) of Skeptical Inquirer magazine.

Recently, CFI published an extensive position paper authored by Barbara Forrest demonstrating convincingly that the ID movement is simply a continuation of creationism.

©2008 Center for Inquiry Transnational, 3965 Rensch Road, Amherst, NY 14228

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