Stay home, Mr. President

Dear Shannah, Skip the ceremony, President Bush President Bush must not attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Olympics unless China uses its influence to see that peacekeepers are effectively deployed in Darfur. Click here to tell President Bush not to attend the opening ceremony of the Olympics. If you were invited to a party hosted by the enablers of the genocide of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, would you go? Today, as the Olympic torch passes through San Francisco for its only North American stop, join me in urging President Bush not to attend the opening ceremony of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Tell President Bush to take a stand for human rights and skip the opening ceremony of the Olympics. China has the power to convince the Sudanese government to accept deployment of the United Nations-African Union (UNAMID) peacekeeping forces for Darfur. But instead China remains Sudan’s major weapons provider, largest foreign investor and trade partner, and diplomatic apologist. President Bush must not sit quietly and watch the lighting of the Olympic torch—under the ‘one world, one dream’ banner—unless China has used its influence to pressure the Sudanese government to allow the effective deployment of the UNAMID peacekeeping force. We can support the Olympic Games, but we cannot support China’s tolerance for the atrocities being committed in Sudan. Beijing should not be allowed to bask in the warm glow of peace and brotherhood associated with the opening games if China is still underwriting atrocities in Darfur. Make sure President Bush gets the message: Stay home unless China uses its influence to get peacekeepers effectively deployed in Darfur. After you have sent your message, please click here to ask your friends and family to join you in calling on President Bush to skip the opening ceremonies. Thank you for your commitment to the people of Darfur.   Best regards, Colleen Connors Save Darfur Coalition