Never Again: Help Bring An End To Genocide

Her name was Eva, and she dreamed of one day becoming a journalist and marrying an Englishman. She was like any other young girl. She was like me: We both had the same dream of becoming a journalist and marrying an Englishman. One of us realized that dream; the other didn't.

Most young people are introduced to the horror of genocide through "The Diary of Anne Frank." Like most kids, I read Anne's diary as a middle schooler. But, it was Eva's story that spoke to me in a way that no others had to that point. Maybe because I would go on to live my dream, but she wouldn't.  When I was in middle school, my biggest concerns were silly things like fighting with my friends. Eva had fears I could only imagine. She worried about death and cried to her diary that she didn't want to die.

Like 11 million others, Eva's life would be brutally stolen from her. She was on the last transport to the gas chambers at Auschwitz, sent to her death by Dr. Josef Mengele himself.

Eva didn't have to die. She shouldn't have died. Nor should any of the other 11 million men, women, and children who were murdered during the Nazi genocide during World War II. After the war, the world mourned the loss of so many lives during the genocide with the cry of "Never Again."

Yet, it keeps happening again. And again. And again. Genocide doesn't affect only one group of people - it affects all of humanity. It's a subject that must be discussed - no matter how uncomfortable the images of death makes us; no matter how many nightmares we may have; no matter how depressed we become. For if we do not take the time to remember and to educate then history again will repeat itself, as it is now doing in Darfur.

Like Eva more than 60 years ago, there is a little girl somewhere in the world tonight, having nightmares and crying for the opportunity to live.

Knowing that how can any of us remain silent any longer?