Americans often feel we are a nation unrivaled in intelligence and power.

Often people feel as though the issues that affect Americans are the ones that should get more news coverage, because they are the ones that matter.

Few people in our “grand” nation understand, let alone pay attention to issues that don’t affect them.

For example, how many people keep up with the situation in Israel and understand the concept behind the violence? Or even the current war on American troops being waged in Iraq? I would venture to say the number is very small.

Why is it that people in the United States don’t find it important to be knowledgeable about issues on the global scale? My only guess is that we are selfish and ethnocentric.

Americans are selfish in that they desire only to know things that affect them or their family, rather than work toward a broad base of knowledge. Most do not seek information that is not put directly in front of them.

Overall, Americans stand alone in their ignorance of international issues in comparison to other industrialized countries that have proven to be much more aware of current events worldwide.

I will use the current situation in the Darfur region of Sudan to confirm the idea that most Americans are oblivious to crucial events that are going on.

I will make a guess and say that few know where Sudan is, let alone know the details of the grave humanitarian crisis that is happening.

A horrifically violent scene is escalating in Darfur. The victims are black Africans inhabiting villages all over the western edge of Sudan where the Darfur region lies.

The Arab militia, Janjaweed, travels on horses and camels throughout Darfur mutilating, raping and killing black men, women and children. This process of ethnic cleansing began in 2003 after violence from rebel groups against the government.

In what is said to be retaliation against the rebels’ attacks, the pro-government Janjaweed is targeting non-Arab civilians and committing atrocities few could imagine, said the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees magazine.

A personal story of tragedy from the magazine is about Kaltum Haroun, a woman whose Darfurian village was ransacked by the violent militias.

Haroun’s young son was ripped off her back while she was carrying him and then killed in front of her. The murderers wouldn’t even allow her to touch the body so she could bury him.

But it didn’t stop there for Haroun, because they proceeded to shoot and kill her husband and her brother in front of her, again refusing to allow her to bury the bodies.

Although Haroun was spared death, her husband, son and brother died in a way similar to many of the approximately 70,000 people that have been killed, according to BBC.

Reports from the region say the situation is even catastrophic for those who survive Janjaweed’s attacks and make it to refugee camps.

According to reports, more than one and a half million people have fled their home villages. Upon entering refugee camps set up by humanitarian organizations, many find there is not enough food, water, medicine or adequate shelter to help the large number of people streaming into the camps.

This brief synopsis does not even begin to describe the horror escalating in Sudan, yet it is nearly off the radar for most Americans.

How can the “genocide that has been committed in Darfur,” as described by Secretary of State Colin Powell, go nearly unnoticed by the world’s superpower and its people?

Some would love to put the blame on the media for their lack of coverage of such situations. These people feel that this is why Americans are unaware of the Darfur situation.

But if that is your argument, I’d suggest you do a little research on Google – the information is endless.

Additionally, while the broadcast media may not have time to cover this, some print sources such as The New York Times have written articles about Sudan and its crisis.

More importantly, the media know that most people have little interest in international affairs and thus will cover them less to hang onto viewers or readers.

Because the media are supplying what the American people want, it brings me right back to American people themselves. Americans want to hear more local news or things that directly influence their lives and usually tune out things that are considered unimportant to them.

This is the selfishness that has led to the lack of interest in the persecution of thousands of men, women and children in Sudan. If more people would take notice of the situation, perhaps more would be done to stop the ethnic cleansing.

I only hope that someday soon, Americans will realize the value of international news, because there are important issues, such as the Darfur situation, that need greater attention from Americans.