Not nearly enough

Now, before I say more, I have to say that this particular host, Dennis Bernstein, is one of the most passionate fundraisers I have ever heard. He often gets quite emotional about the mainstream media’s lack of concern for uncovering the truth about the stories that they report on. Often he cites stories that he and his co-host report about that the mainstream media won’t or can’t touch.

Just the other day, as he was wrapping up the broadcast, he spoke of the recent visit of Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. His voice began to rise as he told of Olmert addressing a joint session of Congress, unconcerned that all the while Israel was continuing its extrajudicial killings of Palestinians.

As Bernstein told this story, something he said struck me full force: “How many Palestinians have to die before the world takes notice – 20, 40, 100, how many?”

When he said this, I thought back to my time in South Africa during the early ‘90s. At this point, Mandela had been released, but peace agreements between the South African government and the African Nationalist Congress had come to a halt because of the government’s refusal to compromise.

The world began to watch, but it seemed only with mild amusement. I wasn’t surprised at this. You see, the world never really paid attention to South Africa for many years. Most people that I know couldn’t even find it on a map.

But something that did take me by surprise was the multiplicity of deaths during this time. This was one of the most turbulent times for South Africa. It was a time of uncertainty as never before.

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