The death toll is rising, and you money is making it possible.
Currently, Michigan tax dollars are supporting companies that aid the Sudanese government in its genocide in Darfur. Already 400,000 have died in addition to the over 2 million refugees. This needs to stop.
Michigan can make a difference. Existing legislation would divest our tax dollars and tuition dollars from companies aiding the genocide. Together with the other 20 states doing this, Michigan can say with a clear voice that, just as we didn't support Apartheid, we don't support genocide.
However, this legislation is sitting in a Senate committee, never receiving a vote. While the House voted divestment through almost unanimously, the Senate is, once again, playing politics with people's lives.
The people of Darfur need this. Michigan needs this. Please call your legislator and urge them to bring Senate Bill 555 and House Bill 4854
up for a fair vote.
-Tom Choske and Jeff Lakin
President and Vice President for Government Outreach (respectively)
Spartans For Progressive Divesment

Yesterday, the United Nations released a statement that the government of Sudan is, once again, failing to comply with UN Security Council Resolutions. Unless they allow all Peacekeepers into the country, hundreds of thousands more will die.

Michigan can make a difference. Existing legislation would divest our tax dollars and tuition dollars from companies aiding the genocide. This would hurt the Sudanese President in a very tender place: his wallet. Also, it would make a statement that Michigan doesn't want Lansing to send its money to foreign companies that help murder innocent civilians.

However, this legislation is sitting in a Senate committee, never receiving a vote. Certain lawmakers are stifling this legislation for political gain, much as they did for the budget. We all know how bad that was for the university and the state.

The people of Darfur need this. Michigan needs this. Please call your legislator and urge them to bring Senate Bill 555 and House Bill 4854 up for a fair vote.

-Tom Choske
President, Spartans For Progressive Divestment

Darfur needs our help. The United Nations has released a statement that, unless the government in Khartoum fully complies with UN Resolutions and allows all aid into the country, the peacekeeping mission will fail and hundreds of thousands more will die.

Michigan has legislation to divest from companies aiding the genocide, hitting the Sudanese President where it hurts: his wallet. However, this legislation is sitting in a Senate committee, never receiving a vote.

The people of Darfur need this. Michigan needs this. Please call your legislator and urge them to bring Senate Bill 555 and House Bill 4854 up for a fair vote.

-Tom Choske
President, Spartans For Progressive Divestment

How can we make a difference in Sudan? This question has sparked much debate in the news as of late. Some, such as Mr. Bristow, believe the only way is through deploying troops. However, that is not the case. The United States can help end the genocide in Darfur with little cost and no loss of life.

Divestment is the first step. Much as the world (the US included) did for South Africa to end Apartheid in the 1990's, we can divest from Sudan to end the genocide. Since the Sudanese government makes most of its money from oil revenues (which the people don't see a penny of), by pressuring these foreign oil conglomerates that are involved in Sudan to put pressure on the government. To get the oil companies to do this, they must be engaged by their shareholders, such as fund managers and even individual people. If they don't change their practices, then we as concerned citizens will take our money other places.

This strategy has worked already. Schlumberger, a French oil concern, stopped supporting the genocide and is now building hospitals and schools in Darfur. It carried virtually no cost for the investors (as there are plenty of more profitable companies out there to invest in) and made a difference on the ground. There were no lives lost either.

Stand up and support divestment legislation. It is the first step, but a significant one, and can help a lot of people with little cost.

-Tom Choske

President, Spartans For Richardson

I must say I respect and welcome Mr. Bristow's viewpoint on Darfur. He brings up a valid point that the United States has as its first responsibility the duty to protect its citizens and its founding principles. By the way, when his letter was written on October 8th, Sudanese government forces and proxy forces attacked and destroyed a village controlled by the Sudanese Liberation Army, a group with which they have an established cease-fire. 100 people were killed and the town was razed. I ask you if the murder of innocent civilians in the midst of a cease-fire violates our belief in 'life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness' or not.

Mr. Bristow gathered from my previous letter that I was of the opinion we should 'invade' Sudan or use our troops. This couldn't be further from the case. The United States has the economic and political might necessary to make the changes without troops.

We need the Bush Administration to put some of its highest ranking diplomats on this issue, giving it the attention it deserves. We need to diplomatically target Sudan's economic partners, such as China, to force change in Khartoum. We need to prevent the conflict from spreading to neighboring nations such as Chad through engaging the African Union and other regional partners. We should moderate productive discussions between the regime and rebel groups officially. Finally, if we are to stand for international law against genocide, we should join the International Criminal Court.

These six steps are Governor Richardson's plan to end the genocide. However, we can't wait till January 20, 2009 to see these policies implemented. We, as citizens, need to stand with the Governor and oppose the outright massacre of innocent civilians every day until the crisis is resolved. This can be done by supporting targeted divestment policies in your state, you community, or even checking your own finances to make sure you are not supporting companies that support genocide.

-Tom Choske

President, Spartans For Richardson

As the media goes, so does the American populace. As Darfur seemed to be getting better with the UN Peace Keepers and the cease-fire, the media and the people seemed to hop to the next story of the day, be it OJ Simpson or Britney Spears.

However, the crisis is not any better, and UN Peace Keepers are meeting stiff resistance from the Sudanese government. While thousands continue to die per day in Darfur, the attention of the United States and other powers wanes.

Certain people are attempting to make a difference. As the only presidential candidate to have been to Sudan, Governor Bill Richardson has a clear policy to bring the might of the United States to bear on the Sudanese regime, forcing a true cease fire and real humanitarian relief.

2008, though, is a long way away. State Senator Hansen Clarke and Representative Alma Wheeler-Smith have legislation in Lansing to divest Michigan pension funds from companies found by analysts to be complacent in the genocide in Darfur. With the budget focus, and the counterproductive partisanship of the majority in the Senate, these bills need a popular push to get through, and start making a difference.

I urge you, contact your representatives. Get involved. Help us prevent another 500,000 from dying a needless death because of our apathy.-

-Tom Choske
President, Spartans For Richardson.