When Life Means Nothing…..

I do this for a reason. I want you to donate to a children’s charity and write to me. Please see the About Lesley page or read the instructions at the end of this post…..

We have all been reading about recent events in Syria. The UN has condemned the Syrian government for the Houla massacre, the Syrian government blames ‘rebel forces’.

There are many definitions of Government. Oxford Dictionaries online gave me a concise definition – ‘the group of people with the authority to govern a country or state; a particular ministry in office’.  I also checked Wikipedia to see a list of types of government. They gave me this list, I will let you study definitions in your own time.

Adhocracy, Authoritarian, Anarchism, Band Society , Chiefdom , Constitutional monarchy , Constitutional republic, Democracy, Geniocracy, Kratocracy, Kritocracy, Meritocracy, Monarchy, Nomocracy, Oligarchy, Plutocracy, Republic, Stratocracy, Technocracy, Theocracy, Timocracy, Totalitarian.

On another site the Syrian government is defined thus – ‘Republic, under authoritarian military-dominated Arab Socialist Ba’ath Party regimes since March 1963’. I think that speaks multitudes……

What is missing from Syria is a duty of care for the people of Syria. Yes, a simplistic opinion from me but if any country is to have a government then top of its ‘action’ list should be a duty of care. This is missing from many governments but it is taken to extremis in Syria.

The question that reverberates round my head – ‘How can anyone do this to their people, those men, women and children’. When you read the reports and hear how people were attached with swords and knives. How can one person look at a child and do that?

Do we remember Rwanda or have we allowed that to dim in our collective consciousness? We all talked at the time about the horror, the atrocity. We condemned and felt good because we condemned. And here we are again; another country, another set of atrocities. Sometimes I despair.

I checked the UN website this morning. They have a link to areas ‘In Focus’ and include Syria as top of their list. The statement found at the Syria link states:-

UN responds to crisis in Syria. The UN is leading efforts to:

– end the violence

– stop human rights violations

– secure humanitarian access

– facilitate a Syrian-led political transition to a democratic political system.

I am glad that they are stating this but want to see them work swiftly. I know the world of diplomacy is a (viper’s?) nest of meetings, compromise and back-channel discussion. I get that there are those whose stance will be a complete denial of the Syrian government’s actions in solidarity for the regime. I understand the UN has a fine line to tread; that is why they so often get criticised by all sides for too little/too much action.

Time is critical here – it only took 100 days for half a million people to be slaughtered in Rwanda. Do we want to see this again? I think not. Any time wasted in putting severe pressure on Syria means more people are wounded or killed. Some who read this will shout ‘Invade!’. I believe in diplomacy, in discussion, as the long-lasting solution but have sympathy for this view. I do not join in the shouting but it does whisper in my mind. However, how many more lives could be lost if this was done too quickly and those who are responsible for the atrocities try to cover their tracks by initiating more?

Today,  I ask the UN one question – how quickly can you fix this? If you aren’t quick enough then what are the repercussions for the civilians of Syria. What are your options and how swiftly will you move?

My last thoughts are for those who carry out these acts. I am not a vengeful person but I hope the faces of those you have killed haunt you. I hope you see them every time you close your eyes. When you take your last breath on this earth I hope that guilt and regret for your actions will be the last thought in your mind. I do not care what justification you give yourself today, you know there is no justification for this. You do not care for the life of others, I wonder what will happen when you are the one whose life means so little. How will you save yourself then?

I close, as always, with this:-

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I will:-

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Thank you for reading.

Lesley

PS – Yes, I did send this post to the UN and will come back with any comments received….