To the Editor:
Alex McVeigh’s article on Rep. Wolf's book "Prisoner of Conscience" ["Wolf’s Crusade," Connection, February 15-21, 2012] is very much worth acknowledging as his constituents and other constituents of neighboring districts are not well informed about Rep. Wolf's commitment to this issue of global human rights. I have lived here in Northern Virginia for 30 years and that is how long Rep. Wolf has been in Congress representing the 10th district. It is also parallel to my 30 years of citizen activism and being a responsible citizen. Through the years I have lived in Arlington, Oakton and Reston. Rep. Wolf has been my congressman for many of those years. Due to boundary changes etc, I am not in the 10th District now. Our citizen advocacy organization has worked closely with Rep. Wolf over these 30 years. We recall his life changing visit to Ethiopia and how we were very proud of him. He has supported programs of UNICEF and Child Survival funding that really make a difference.
In 1984, in the "State of the World's Children Report" published annually by UNICEF, the number of child deaths (preventable) was 40,000 daily. In these past 30 years the number currently according to UNICEF is down to 24,000 daily. That is still a scandalous number but also shows progress in fighting human rights violations of hunger and disease that is preventable. Rep. Wolf says in your article that back in the ’80s there was more bipartisan support for human rights in Congress than he sees now. Isn't that shameful that "partisan politics" negates the commitment we all have to such fundamental rights. I really don't believe that Republican or Democrat really sees this as a political issue but a "human rights issue." Rep. Wolf shows an ongoing commitment and feels frustrated that change is possible but he says it will take a "shift in attitude" and that speaking out and advocating programs that make a difference is a responsibility for us as well as Congress.
Len Chorazy
RESULTS Coordinator, Virginia
Reston