Friday, February 8, 2008

Corrected Letter

Scott Miller

World Lit.-Brewer

Letter Assignment

23 Wednesday 2008

Dear Senator Evan Bayh,

As you may know, there has recently been a great deal of political discrimination taking place in the country of Zimbabwe. Peaceful protestors of the MDC party (Movement for Democratic Change) have been the victims of horrible police brutality in a recent rally at the Glamis Stadium. While the rally was approved to take place that day by government officials, the protestors were treated inhumanely by the law enforcement while on their way from Harare city centre to the stadium. According to Amnesty International, police unnecessarily used tear gas and arrested or beat several citizens as they walked to the venue, despite the fact that the official Magistrate court declared that “police should not interfere with the gathering through prohibiting it, stopping it, blocking it or doing any act calculated to prevent the gathering from proceeding”.

This is not the first violation of basic human rights carried out by the Zimbabwe police. They are known for harassing and intimidating opposition to the ruling party (ZANU-PF party). Last March, the police arrested and savagely beat about 50 members of the MDC, some of whom had been tortured. This is a repeated occurrence in Zimbabwe, and members of the MDC in custody are often kept away from basic needs, such food and medicine.

This kind of treatment and obstruction of peaceful protest must be put to an end. While there are thousands of members of the MDC party, the law enforcement and current rulers of the government are obstructing the party’s ability to create any kind of reform in the country. Amnesty International has also compiled evidence of tortuous acts taking place against members of opposing political parties. As a country with a strong central government, a love and respect for Democracy, and a strong military, the United States needs to step in and put this inhumanity to an end.

There are several ways in which the United States may be of service to these peaceful protestors, such as the MDC, of Zimbabwe. First of all, we can project this grisliness for the entire world to see; report it all over the news in devastating connotation; entice the entire developed world to see the lack of diplomacy and democracy taking place in Zimbabwe. Once everyone sees this inhumanity, then the next step is to become physically involved in the protest. While this may sound unfeasible, I believe that, with the help of other nations, this can be done. The next time that protestors, such as the MDC, wish to have a peaceful rally that their own government has officially approved, bring some troops in to guard them in their rally, protect them from the savage police that arrest and torture them. I am confident that a small number of our troops is a significantly larger number than Zimbabwe’s police force, and I am also sure that we have the power to stop this political bullying (to put it lightly). As Simeon Mawanza (a researcher on Zimbabwe) said, “The government must allow any peaceful protests to go ahead, and ensure the safety of all peaceful demonstrators and all people taken into police custody." I hope you will take my ideas into consideration and bring Zimbabwe’s struggle for democracy to Washington’s eyes.

Sincerely,

Scott Miller (Indiana res.)

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