Zimbabwe...

I was standing in the Xray department waiting to transfer a patient to the ward when I noticed the 11am news bulletin playing. I heard them begin to talk about Zimbabwe, how Nelson Mandela has publicly shamed Mugabe and the Queen of England has removed his honorary knighthood in a sign of revoltion. They then showed a special feature, showing the injuries of a family who had been beaten. There crime being that they are related to someone who supports the opposition. A girl had a gash, you could put your hand into, on her head. Another victim had flesh ripped from his body by being burned. It was horrendous!! To see the scenes in of the streets and people being bashed. They told us that while the official death toll sat at 1,000 the unofficial was closer to 10,000. My heart was breaking, as I held back the tears...as I was standing in a busy Xray department, I felt an overwhelming compassion. I have to do something!!!!!! I don't know what I can do but I need to try something!! While I have never lived in Zimbabwe, I have lived in Africa and I see these people and have such love for them!!! How can someone be so cruel!! It's Rwanda again, it's Sudan...and it's up to us to make sure that it doesn't keep happening. Why can we support Iraq, Afghanistan and East Timor in their peace keeping efforts but we cant go to Africa-We cant lend and hand and stop the likes of Robert Mugabe from destroying peoples lives!!!