Reflection 16

Genocide is defined as the deliberate destruction and slaughter of part of or an entire racial, religious or ethnic group. The best example of genocide has got to be the killing of the Jewish people during the holocaust. The holocaust is taught to not be easily forgotten. It is embedded in us as children, that this crime against humanity should never be repeated. The holocaust only happened roughly 68 years ago. This isn’t a long time ago. History books are haunted with the pictures of hungry, sick and mistreated Jews in concentration camps and Ghettos. For me, The Holocaust is the greatest example of a modern genocide. Of course, there are other places that are going through or have gone through atrocities such as the Holocaust. The Ethnic cleansing in Rwanda, Bosnia and Darfur are problems our society has recently been faced with. Ethnic Cleansing is when a group is either eliminated from its society by genocide or migration. This involves mass killings and military force for the removal of the unwanted group. In Bosnia, women were raped and pillaged, while their sons and husbands were being forced to watch. Beatings and killings occurred daily on the streets, right outside of homes and schools. Millions more were sent to concentration camps, like the jaws, called Omarska. Many people were refugees with no place to go, no food to eat and no hope to be saved. Darfur has got to be one of the other well known acts of genocide and Ethnic Cleansing. The government abused the people of western Sudan. Mosques and Islamic relics were destroyed daily. Killings, Looting and rapes were common scenes seen in western Sudan. Citizens were not allowed to move freely. There every move was watched and followed. They were told what to do and when to do it. If anyone should disagree, death was the only answer for those who stepped out of line. Reading these passages, I can’t help but think of how ashamed I am to be counted as one race. How can people be so blind and full of hate? How can they sit back and think that what they are doing is right? Living lives full of detestation and anger will only bring about pain and suffering for those who cross your path. I am a firm believer that one day, maybe one day the different people of the world will finally see that we are all part of one big chain. We are all connected by our humanness. Those who refuse to see the connection are just pretending to be blind. I have hope that one day they too shall see the light.