In 10 countries, men, women and children are being killed as part of systematic "genocide, 'politicide' or mass atrocities," according to Genocide Watch's recently updated list.

In Syria, pro-democracy protesters and civilian bystanders are being bombed, shot and starved by their government's security forces; in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, 3 to 5 million civilians, mostly women and girls, have been raped and murdered; and in North Korea, labor camps house 500,000 domestic and political prisoners, and non-party members are starved and undergo forced abortions.

"Many people don't realize that genocide is occurring every day all over the world," says Renata Reinhart, author of In the Course of My Life (www.rexvita.com), an account of the little-known Soviet genocide of 2 million Eastern Germans in 1945, committed with the complicity of England and the United States.

"It's something we should all be deeply concerned about - any of us can become the next victims," Reinhart says.

One hallmark of genocide is that the perpetrators deny it, says Dr. Gregory Stanton, president of Genocide Watch and the International Association of Genocide Scholars. They use tactics such as questioning and minimizing the statistics; blaming renegade forces; claiming self-defense; and/or claiming deaths were inadvertent and not intentional.

Allowing the killers to deny the massacres ensures future slaughters, Stanton says.

"Studies by genocide scholars prove that the single best predictor of future genocide is denial of a past genocide coupled with impunity for its perpetrators," he says. "Genocide deniers are three times more likely to commit genocide again than other governments."

In the case of the 1945 ethnic cleansing of Eastern Germany, Russian soldiers were given license to launch a "Revenge without Mercy" on the civilian populations of East Prussia, Silesia, Pomerania and other parts of Eastern Europe, Reinhart says.

"It's documented; it's just been ignored, concealed and forgotten," she says, noting Nobel Prize-winner Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, a captain in the Red Army who witnessed the atrocities and recounted them in his poem, "Prussian Nights." A survivor of the slaughter, Margot Serowy, tells her story in paintings at MargotSoweryFineArt.com.

Anticipating Germany's defeat in World War II, Soviet Premier Joseph Stalin considered the territories he would eventually claim and decided they should be cleared of all Germans, Reinhart says. Soldiers in the Red Army were encouraged to burn, loot, pillage, rape and kill to drive the Germans out of those areas beginning in January 1945.

"England's prime minister, Winston Churchill, was informed of the plan and referred to it - approvingly - in 1944 as 'these population transferences,' '' Reinhart says.  "Churchill personally ordered the massive bombing and destruction of East Prussia's capital Konigsberg for no justifiable strategic reason and a few months later, the British bombed and leveled Dresden, killing 30.000 to 40.000 civilians. These attacks helped pave the way for Stalin's genocide."

The "revenge" soldiers, she added, were supplied with food, trucks, Jeeps and other vehicles by the United States.

"Because the victims were German, it was all right to rape children and murder women. No one tried to stop it," Reinhart says. "And, apparently, it's all right to kill men, women and children in  Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Burma - the rest of the countries on the Genocide Watch list.

"We need to hold the perpetrators accountable. That's the first step to stopping these atrocities."

About Renata Reinhart

Renata Reinhart is the pen name of the author, a scholar of World War II history who spent years researching the Red Army's march across Eastern Europe in 1945. While the book is fictionalized as a memoir, the historical elements are accurate and based on numerous documented sources.

Washington, D.C. Congressman Dave Loebsack released the following statement after the President spoke at the University of Iowa about the need to prevent student loan interest rates from doubling, from 3.4 percent to 6.8 percent, on July 1^st.  Loebsack is a cosponsor of H.R. 3826, which would ensure the increase does not occur.  Loebsack welcomed the President to Iowa at the Eastern Iowa Airport and attended his speech at the University of Iowa Field House.

"I was pleased President Obama chose the University of Iowa to highlight the looming rate increase if Congress does not take action.  This issue truly impacts many Iowans.  In fact, over the past year more than 3,900 people have contacted me with their concerns about the cost of college and student loans.  This is not all that surprising given that college grads in Iowa leave school with some of the highest debt load in the country.  They cannot afford a rate increase.

"I grew up in poverty, worked my way through college and relied on financial aid to pay for tuition.   I know firsthand the difference that a college education can make in a student's life.  No student should be turned away or lose out on attending college because their family can't afford to pay tuition.  Congress must act to avoid this rate increase."

During his time with the President, Loebsack also raised the need for bipartisan support in passing a long-term transportation bill.

"I talked with the President about an issue central to job creation and economic development in Iowa - transportation.  Iowans are sick of the bickering and partisan politics and are demanding that the work get done, which is why I have crossed party lines time and again to try and pass a Highway Bill.  I strongly urged the President to engage on a bipartisan basis to finally move a long-term transportation bill so projects critical to Iowa's families, businesses and farmers can move forward."

President Should Stop Obstructing Job Creation for America's College Graduates

Iowa City, IA - When President Barack Obama speaks at the University of Iowa campus today, Americans for Prosperity - Iowa (AFP-IA) will be on campus to rally in support of job creation and economic freedom. Americans for Prosperity - Iowa state director Mark Lucas believes the White House should change its policies to make it easier for companies to grow and create jobs.

"A college degree doesn't matter much when there are no jobs available in the economy," says Lucas.

Recent employment data shows that one in two college graduates are unemployed or underemployed and the unemployment rate for 21 to 24 year-olds is over 13 percent.

"The President had an opportunity to support the Keystone Pipeline which would have created thousands of much-needed jobs," said Lucas. "The White House claims they want to lower unemployment. This administration is content to see half a billion dollars wasted on failed companies like Solyndra, while blocking job growth that would come with the Keystone pipeline."

The rally will be held along Grande Avenue on the President's motorcade route. Americans for Prosperity - Iowa will watch the President's speech and discuss it over a pizza lunch at the Wig & Pen restaurant on 1220 Hwy 6 West at 1:00PM. The President is scheduled to speak at the University of Iowa campus today as part of his effort to get Congress to extend an interest rate cap on the federally subsidized Stafford college student loan program.

AMBLER, PA - Springtime has arrived and it's time to dust off the "to do" list. But, how does a homeowner decide which projects should take priority? According to Mark Clement, host of MyFixItUpLife home improvement radio show, start by selecting those projects that are the most important for enhancing the functionality of the home.

"National Home Improvement Month in May is the ideal time to shine the spotlight on annual home projects that should never be overlooked," says Clement, a professional contractor in Pennsylvania. "Sure it's great to work outside in the garden this time of year, but that task should take second place behind evaluating and fixing major components of the house.

"A home's curb appeal is important, but working on the structural aspects of the home should always take priority. For example, every year homeowners should be evaluating the condition of their roof, siding, windows, gutters and other exterior products that they rely on daily to keep their family safe and secure."

Clement, who is currently renovating his own 100-year-old home, understands that all products in and on the house will eventually need to be replaced. "We just replaced the original wood door on our home with a fiberglass door," says Clement. "That old door should have been removed a decade ago because it lost its functionality and was an energy drain on our home. The new Therma-Tru fiberglass door is energy-efficient, stylish and helps secure our home."

According to Clement, there is a "must do" list of five items that homeowners should review every year during National Home Improvement Month. "May is the ideal time weatherwise to do these checkups and replacement work for the home," says Clement. "It makes sense economically to make any needed changes to the roof, windows or doors when such work will have the least impact on energy bills."

The list recommended by Clement includes:

Item #1 - Check the roof. Using either a ladder or binoculars from across the street, look for problem areas, such as missing or broken shingles, along with roofing tiles that may be "flapping" in the wind. These are all indications that a new roof may be in your future. If that's the case, research the newer products on the market, such as polymer shake and slate roofing tiles. These impact-resistant tiles are man-made in a wide variety of colors. Some roofing tiles, like those from DaVinci Roofscapes® that Clement chose for his home, are fire- and hail-resistant. They also have a 50-year limited warranty.

Item #2 - Clean and assess the home's siding. Pressure-washing works well for many homes to remove dirt and algae that can grow on siding, but remember never to pressure-wash windows or their screens. The extreme high pressure could crack or destroy the caulking around the units. While cleaning the siding, make sure to check for changes in the exterior from the previous year and be alert to buckling, warping or insect damage that may need to be fixed.

Item #3 - Evaluate the windows. If you find that windows in the home don't operate easily, there's air leaking in or out of the units, or there's condensation between the glass panes, then it may be time to seriously consider replacement windows.

Vinyl framed windows have the highest growth rate in the country due to their energy-efficiency, aesthetic appeal and durability. Some of the best have fusion-welded corners and multi-chambered construction. Plus, maintenance hassles are so low you'll forget the horrors of rotting frames, scraping and repainting that come with wood windows. For his renovation project, Clement selected Simonton vinyl windows. The award-winning company impressed him with its 65-year history, strong product warranty and return-on-investment with their quality ENERGY STAR^® qualified windows.

Item #4 - Check on the gutters. Don't underestimate the importance of the gutter system on the home. Each year homeowners should check to make sure their gutters are unclogged and remain sloped for proper drainage. Plus, make sure the water running off the roof doesn't cause damage to the building structure, landscaping or property below the roof.

The Gutter Installers Association (GIA) recommends using GIA-certified contractors to perform a physical inspection of your existing gutters to check for leaks, ensure proper slope for good drainage and offer advice on a variety of gutter protection systems.

Item #5 - Spend time with the main entry door. If homeowners can see light around the door from the inside, the door is hard to close or lock, or the door itself is warped, it's time to consider a new door. Even if you can't see light, air may be moving through gaps in the weather stripping at a surprising rate.

Think about the weather conditions that a home's door faces along with the energy bills. If either run to the extreme, consider replacing an entryway with a high-performance fiberglass door (which can have up to four times more insulation value than wood doors). Homeowners can also request features such as the Tru-Defense_® Door System* from Therma-Tru Doors that features enhanced weatherstripping, corner seal pad, door bottom sweep and profiled sill that all work together to provide strength and stability in the entry door.

For more home improvement tips, visit www.myfixituplife.com.

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*See www.thermatru.com for complete details on the Tru-Defense_® Door Systems.

ENERGY STAR is a government program that helps consumers protect the environment through superior energy efficiency and is a registered trademark of the U.S. Department of Energy and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Web Site Resources:

·       www.davinciroofscapes.com

·       www.simonton.com

·       www.thermatru.com

·       www.myfixituplife.com