Genocide

Genocide Jonathan Lozano DACC Psychology 210G-D18 (Fall/ 2012) Dr.Bender

Genocide

Abstract Genocide is defined as an attempt to destroy a particular ethnical, racial or religious group, and has been around since the early days of humanity. Even though it has always existed it was legally defined in 1948 by a Polish-Jewish lawyer. There are many cases of genocide documented throughout history most being very brutal and inhumane such as the killing of the Jews during WWII. Nearly six million Jews were killed during WWII and it has been one of the most memorable cases of genocide in history. Another known and even more recent case of genocide is the mass killings of the African Tutsi tribe by the more populated Hutu tribe in 1994 when the dispute began after the Hutus blamed the Tutsi minority population for the countries social, economic and political pressure in the country of Rwanda. Today its approximated that nearly four hundred thousand people have been killed in the area of Darfur in Sudan Africa, and more than hundred people die every day according to an article by the United Human Rights Council, by a group of Arab militias called the Janjaweed. Genocide is often overlooked until the damage is so great that all we can do is look back and reflect on the actions the governments couldve done to prevent it. I truly believe that you cant life is to precious to go to waste and its not up to governments to choose who lives and who dies.

Genocide Genocide Genocide is defined as an attempt to destroy a particular ethnical, racial or religious group. Genocide is a term that has legally only been around for 68 years. Prior to this, the term genocide had never been used or said before. Although it is dated in such religious books as the Bible that genocide had been going on since

before 1948 but until a Polish-Jewish lawyer named Raphael Lemkin legally defined genocide, it was a nameless crime. Prior to Lemkins defining genocide, it hadnt been used to describe the action of killing a particular group. There are many cases of genocide documented throughout history most being very brutal and inhumane. WWII One of the most known cases of genocide today is the killing of Jewish people by the Nazis during World War II. In 1944 Nazi parties decided to reconstruct the ethnic composition of Europe by force. To do so they would use brute force and irrational thinking; they would kill anybody who didnt fit the description of what they believed to be a perfect human being, in this case it was European Jews. Now known as the Holocaust, the prosecution of Jewish people during WWII led to the death of six million Jews by the hand of Nazi parties. Today we look back and ask ourselves why would anybody do such a heinous crime? Well the Germans believed that they were with no doubt racially superior to the European Jews and along with other races such as, Gypsies, Slavic people, Russians and even disabled people. In their minds they were considered weak or inferior. Rwanda Another known and even more recent case of genocide is the mass killings of the African Tutsi tribe by the more populated Hutu tribe in 1994. The dispute began when the

Genocide Hutus blamed the Tutsi minority population for the countries social, economic and political pressure. Shortly after president Habyarimana (a member of the Hutu tribe) was killed after his airplane was shot down. Soon after Hutu extremist began their assault on the Tutsis, creating one of the worst cases of genocide today. It is calculated that nearly eight hundred thousand men, women and children were killed in Rwanda in 1994. The genocide in Rwanda ended after the Hutu extremists were killed and when president Paul kagame took office. Genocide today As humans continue to grow and expand so will peoples beliefs and opinions. As history shows genocide is always hate to others because they are different take the Hutus and Tutsis both neighboring African tribes, physically the same but politically opposite. The Germans killed other races because they were different but why do these tribes in countries like Africa kill each other? Because they cant agree their leaders or because they dont want to merge into one country as a whole? I find it pathetic how we are all humans sharing the same land, air, water, planet even universe yet we still cant stop killing each other. There was genocide in 1940s, 1990s and now today in the year 2012 we have genocide. Yet day to day we turn our heads and ignore it or are we so self centered that we just dont care? Today its approximated that nearly four hundred thousand people have been killed in the area of Darfur in Sudan Africa, and more than hundred people die every

day according to an article by the United Human Rights Council, by a group of Arab militias called the Janjaweed. And according to the same article the Sudanese government disputes these estimates and denies any connection with these extremists. Genocide is often

Genocide overlooked until the damage is so great that all we can do is look back and reflect on the actions the governments couldve done to prevent it. Prevention As quoted by Ann Clyde Genocide is the responsibility of the entire world. And I

certainly believe in this. Its up to the world as a whole to prevent genocide from happening, we cannot allow the governments to just sit back and wait for the outcome. Before the Rwanda genocide governments such as France, United States, Belgium and even the United Nations were aware of the steps that were being taken to slaughter the Tutsis. Yet none acted in time to prevent the gruesome attacks. Not only were the governments aware of what was soon to be genocide they refuse to admit what was going on in Rwanda was genocide. In 2005 the Sudanese government refused to restrict the activities of Janjaweeds and would not cooperate with a human rights investigation. Sometimes governments may be to scared to intervene because they may be starting a new conflict with a country and that be something they could not afford. But is can you but a price on the death of thousands and sometimes millions? I truly believe that you cant life is to precious to go to waste and its not up to governments to choose who lives and who dies.

Genocide Reference Page Genocide in Darfur. (2012). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from unitedhumanrightscouncil website:http://www.unitedhumanrights.org Genocide Prevention Task Force. (2012). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from unitedstatesinstituteofpeace website: http://www.usip.org

Genocide in Rwanda. (2012). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from unitedhumanrights Website: http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide.

Introduction to the Holocaust. (2012, May 11). Retrieved November 4, 2012, from Unitedstatesholocaustmemorialmusuem website: http://www.ushmm.org