It saddens me to hear thoughtless criticism of those who are working to bring attention to the most seemingly insurmountable problems.

On Thursday, the DI published a letter by Joseph Delaney (“The spirit of protest” Nov. 16) in which he critiques student protestors of the ongoing genocide in Darfur. Delaney stated, “I couldn’t help but scoff at her ideals . her iPod keeping her entertained as she remembers the murdered Sudanese.” His critique is that the protestors are not sacrificing enough to be taken seriously.

How much must we sacrifice before we are permitted to act on issues we feel deeply about? The message is that unless a person is willing to enact actual genocide on the Quad they should not act at all.

All of us in the U.S. are privileged not be living through genocide, but instead to have the opportunity to go about our lives, listen to our iPods, and not be bothered with the world’s problems. But our privilege bestows on us an obligation to speak out about Darfur, and without pretending to be anything they are not, this is what these students have done, and they should be commended for it.

Despite Delaney’s criticism that these students are apathetic, he is promoting a strain of apathy that is rampant in America, and that effectively discourages conscientious protest. The idea that a person must be a saint before they can speak their mind discourages good people from contesting injustice. As an activist myself, I can tell you that the hesitation not to act due to humbleness is sometimes overwhelming, but nothing will be solved by inaction.

What Colleen Klein and her fellow activists did should be commended, and not critiqued by someone who offers no alternative, only discouragement.

Rachel White-Domain

Senior in LAS