In addition to using the unseeming phrase “contagion of violence,” President Bush also used another word that has previously been unused in a State of the Union [1] address: Belarus.
The president pronounced it “Bail-uh-rus,” but Belarus [2] (pronounced byelaRUS) was added to what amounted to a miniature axis of evil. Said the president:
And we will continue to speak out for the cause of freedom in places like Cuba, Belarus, and Burma – and continue to awaken the conscience of the world to save the people of Darfur.
It’s not much, but it does begin to draw some attention to a small European nation with a large dictator problem [3]. Human rights and religious freedom violations aren’t limited to Islamic regimes, and though it was but a brief mention, it’s good to know that the world hasn’t forgotten.