What about the people?

I have to admit that I was quite shocked as America's favorite horse - Barbaro - went down in the opening strides of the Preakness, but nothing has got on my nerves quite like the coverage since then. Since Barbaro - which I must remind you is still just a horse - broke his leg, the mainstream media have been treating it like the death of a president. Round-the-clock updates, photos of him recovering, poignant shots of children laying flowers next to a fence, juicy gossip ("Barbaro is now flirting with mares, delcared a headline from a "respectable" news agency) and an appearance by the surgeon on ABC, NBC, CBS and many other stations all are over the top.

People - real people, not horses - are dying by the thousands in Darfur. Real people are having their bones purposely broken out of vengeance. Over 3.5 million real people, human beings, are displaced from their home and lack food, water and healthcare. But what does the media cover all weekend long? The drama of a four-legged animal who broke his leg in a race.

Don't get me wrong, I'm all for Barbaro pulling through and avoiding the slaughterhouse, but c'mon, get real! 300,000 intelligent, funny and capable humans have died because of a preventable genocide. My friends have less odds of surving than a horse here in America. Please, urge the media to give attention to Darfur. Click on the Be A Witness Campaing link on the right and join the fight.