Discuss

Conformity. Everyone does it but no one wants to admit it, presumably brought up by the Second World War. The text, The Boy in the Stripped Pyjamas by John Boyne is a fictional recount of the events of the war and provides many examples of conformity. However, many would like to believe that a catastrophe as large and as horrific as that cannot repeat itself because of the new awareness of conformity, but have we really eliminated it from our society? Many points of the argument must be taken into consideration before a final judgement is made, such as if ingrained social class and behaviour expectations still remains in society. It must also be considered whether society has indeed strengthened itself against a large body of one opinion, which can be seen today in the many opinions that are shared and acknowledged when electing a leader for most first world countries in the democratic system and strange or weird individuals that are accepted into society, despite their difference, an example of which is the gay rights campaign.

            Ingrained social class that is still present in the world today is an example of conformity still being powerful. An example of this in the text is portrayed by the main protagonist, Bruno, a nine year old boy, son of a high German Commandant, who is quoted asking his sister a question: “[Bruno] ‘I want to know about the fence…I want to know why it’s there’… ‘Because they have to be kept together,’ explained Gretel. ‘With their families you mean?’ [Gretel] ‘Well yes with their families. But with their own kind too.’ (pp 181 – 182). This clearly shows how social class was enforced on children in the past, making them label people with an ‘Us and Them’ mentality. However, it is still seen today; parents telling their children that to not play with those kids, simply because they are a different race or have a different religion, struggling financially or are academically disadvantaged are all enforcing their children with opinionated social class.

            Behaviour expectations that repeatedly occur in society are another example of conformity and followed with an utmost strictness. It is displayed in the book as Bruno’s parents attempt him to implement ethics in the form of manners on him; “And don’t interrupt your mother when she is talking…’ she [Mother] added, for although this was strange and unpleasant news, there was certainly need for Bruno to break the rules of politeness which he had been taught.”(pp 7). This is still seen in everyday routine, from simply saying thank you or holding the door out for someone, as it something that is expected in our society. It is also displayed when Bruno is told that he has to follow the rules but his parents or ’superiors’ don’t: “’Bruno, just do it, please!’ Mother snapped, because apparently it was all right if she interrupted him but it didn’t work the other way round” (pp 14-15). This is also seen in the present day, and even has a cliché made for it: ‘Children should be seen and not heard’. This was evidently followed in the past and still continues today, by the common stifling or hushing of a child’s ideas and opinions when the adults are talking, seen in  elections where only adults get to vote, children, however, do not get a say. It is also displayed with the common belief that children should respect their elders and obey their parents that still continues today.

            The many individuals that are seen today, which are still accepted into society (an example of which is  the new gay rights) are all illustrations of how conformity has been rejected in society. In history homosexuals were discriminated against, shunned even murdered because of their sexual difference. Nonetheless today, despite the past prejudice against them, they are now accepted in our society, are given the right to adopt and the right to be presented as a married couple. The text on the other hand shows a mutual loathing for people out of the ordinary or the ‘out’ group, presented with the character of Grandmother; ‘Grandfather was very proud of his son when he saw him in his new uniform but Grandmother was the only one who seemed unimpressed…’ (pp 90).Grandmother’s different views soon lead to conflict between her and her family. “’Ashamed!’ she called out before she left. ‘That a son of mine should be-’. ‘A patriot!’ cries Father…’A patriot indeed!’ she cried out. ‘The people you have to dinner in this house. Why, it makes me sick. And to see that uniform makes me want to tear the eyes from my head!’ she added before storming out of the house and slamming the door behind her.‘ (pp 93) As grandmother was an individual and didn’t conform like the majority of the German population , and so her difference lead to the isolated of her own family, when they later moved to Auschwitz. On the other hand, today the public is continuing to learn to accept others for who they are.

The democratic system supported by most modern day countries that takes into account the many viewpoints when deciding their leader is another point that gives evidence that the advanced society is not a slave to conformity. In this system, opinions, despite them contradicting, are shared respected and taken into consideration. This shows that people are willing to live with that the fact that there are other views in the world and that they cannot enforce their own on others. In the text, it is shown an almost complete opposite of democracy: dictatorship, in the form of the ‘Fury’ (referring to Adolph Hitler’s title, , who rules over his lover Eva without a question in his authority. It is seen on page 122 and “’Eva,’ shouted the Fury from the other room, clicking his fingers as if she were some sort of puppy dog…’It was lovely to meet you both’, she [Eva] said, before stepping into the dining room and sitting down on the Fury’s left-hand side.” (pp 122-123). It is also seen again when Father attempts to dictator his family, “’…and that’s an end to the matter. I don’t want to hear another word on the subject…’ said Father.” In the majority of organisations today, whether it being families, partners or politics, all participants get a say in what happens, an element in society that was not present in the past.

            As it is evident that a society cannot exist without conformity of some sort, however, there are many points that suggest that it is still powerful, such as the ingrained social class expectations of behaviour, and many that indicate that it has subsided to the bare minimal, like different opinions that are taken into considerations in the democratic political system and the ability to accept difference, seen in the recent homosexuals rights campaign. Taking all that into thought it is seen that although numerous cases have been perceived and eradicated, there are many more that are almost undetectable but are still powerful in a present day society.

 By “Peanut” (R.M from KDC)

In a video testimony, Amnon Neumann said that he participated in the expulsion of unarmed Palestinians from their villages in southern Israel.

Amnon Neumann

Admitting his crimes, Neumann described that he helped kill people, burn the villages, and chase off women and children.

“This is very clear. We came to inherit the land. Who do you inherit from? If the land is empty you inherit it from no one. The land was not empty when we inherited it,” he said.

The Israeli veteran, who was a former Palmach fighter, said the reason for the Nakba of 1948 was “the Zionist ideology”.

“Like all ultranationalist movements, Zionism requires the murder and expulsion of people and the destruction of all evidence of their existence. Those not destroyed must be permanently subjugated by the ethnicity in charge,” he explained.

Israel’s 1948 occupation of Palestine, known as the Nakba Day or “the day of the catastrophe” displaced some 700,000 Palestinians, forcing them to flee to different countries.

Tel Aviv is unwilling to compromise on the right of return for Palestinian refugees of the 1948 war and their descendants.

Palestinians have long asserted that the refugees have a moral and legal right to return to the lands they were forced to abandon during the Israeli-Arab wars in 1948 and 1967.

The human race is known for being outlandishly cruel and cowardly in handling of different ethnic groups. Genocide, as it is called, is a massive “cleansing” of a race, ethnic group, or even anyone with a slight difference from another group. Genocide can be carried out by a government, a rebel group, or by average Joes. In most cases, a controlling political group of the area is responsible.  These groups seek to rid themselves of a group of people they see as a threat or nuisance. They blame them for economic troubles, much like Hitler did with Jewish people in Germany. They use a poor, in almost all cases, ethnic group as scapegoats. They torture and kill hundreds of thousands and sometimes millions of innocent people.

For genocide to be accurately categorized and compared in this essay, three main criteria need to be present in each specific case. The first of these criteria is for the acting group to view the genocide as a righteous act. They must fund the genocide in monetary terms and in an army goods and soldiers. In some cases, like in Germany, they will seek public approval and “campaign” for the vicious slayings. The victimized group must be viewed by the acting as a reason for their troubles and the ousting of the ethnic group will be the solution.

The second criteria are for large numbers of the ethnic group to be displaced, tortured and killed. In the end, this group must face the possibility of extinction and the genocide to have negative ramifications for an extended period of time after the genocide has ended. This could be extreme poverty, loss of social standing, and/or discrimination and segregation for decades.  The group must be physically forced out of their rightful land and to refugee camps.  Also, after the genocide is over, the oppressed group is seen as outcasts and usually receives no compensation or aid to help them regain their foothold in the world. 

Lastly, a third party, usually of other nations or groups, views these as atrocities. The third party must take a stance against the genocide or give aid to these people. This aid could be in the form of care packages, monetary support for a defense of some sort of military aid to fight against the oppressors.  However, not in all cases, will this criteria be meet and therefore, will not be considered genocide. This criterion is of the most importance and is needed for genocide to have taken place. If no one takes a stand against the group or views it as immoral, then the genocide can be said to be given backing and approval making it a plausible action. 

In other cases not included in this, one of three to be present or two of the three. However, for the accurate classification of genocide all three must be present. For instance, in some cases, a third party might not object to the crimes. This tends to be the situation for most other cases viewed to be genocide. For instance, Vietnam may be seen as genocide. Although according to these criteria it is not. America did not come into Vietnam for the reason of seeking a solution to a problem by killing an ethnic group. Their motives were to end a form of oppressive government. The two other criteria match in Vietnam. Thousands of people were displaced and brutally killed, and in America anti-war groups protested the war as immoral.

Part 2

The first example of genocide to be evaluated is the recent genocide of the people in Darfur. The government, in this case, acts as the oppressors. In 2003, a rebel group carried out attacks on government centers. The reason for the attacks, the native Africans were being neglected to establish Arab people in the region. The government was neglecting the needs of the poor Africans to cater to the Arabs. The government then sent out “self- defense” militia to control the rebel groups. Since 2003, the Africans have been killed and driven out of their rightful land. Many children are left without food, clothes, shelter and more importantly family from these vicious “self-defense” militia that raid villages and rape and kill.  Darfur has all three criteria and is a present day example of genocide.

        The native Africans in Darfur have been oppressed by the government, matching up with the first criteria. Much like in the Battle of Culloden, the government acts to squash rebel threats. The government approval and poor “policing” of the militia groups led to out of control behavior. The militia and armies run free and impose their own will viciously raping and killing everyone in sight. This is due to the distance of the government in relation to the area of the genocide. In Culloden, the slaughtering took place in Scotland, far enough out of the eyes and ears of the Crown. In Darfur, the section of the natives are located is a poor area away from the central government. Due to the distance, the groups are not controlled and commit horrible crimes against the innocent people. However, the government does not take action when they get wind of the crimes. They, instead, turn away and allow the vicious crimes to continue. This only supports the classification of genocide.

Regarding criteria number two, the people are displaced from their homes and farms. In Darfur, those who are lucky to escape are left to wander the dessert and settle in refugee camps where food is scarce. This is much like in Armenia, when Armenians were marched to death camps from their homeland and were killed. Although the genocide continues, one can pretty much assume that when it is the Africans will be discriminated by the Arabs and government for decades later. The remaining supporters of the genocide will forbid the Africans from getting a job and an education. Much like in Culloden were the Highlanders were continually looked down upon by the Lowlanders and Brits. The displacement of the people is not just physical in these cases, but also social that leads to years of prejudice.

          Today, many charities are established to raise money for care packages to send to refugee camps. The Peace Corps send hundreds of people to the camps to educate and give them food and shelter. This third party action is the third criteria. The African Union has sent 7,000 troops to defend the people from the government deployed militia. [BBC News] The United Nations have also sought to help the Africans. They have called for peace deals and some progress has been made. All these third parties prove that the action taken by the government is brutal and immoral.

     Darfur is a great present-day example of genocide. All three criteria are met. The government approval, the displaced and murdered civilians and lastly, a stance taken against the oppressors and aid given to the oppressed. Although the genocide is not over, it still provides a good comparison to genocides of the past and for the future. Darfur is a tragic and grotesque example of the racial prejudices that are the root of genocide. 

Part 3

The last example of genocide is of the Native Americans. They were taken advantage of by the white Europeans and then kicked out from their prosperous land, west to less inhabitable. Eventually, when the United States was formed, the Native Americans lost almost all their lands and were forced to live on barren wastelands called Reservations. “The most massive act of genocide in the history of the world” is used by David E. Stannard in his book, American Holocaust, to describe the Native American treatments. The Europeans and later Americans culturally and physically killed the Native Americans. They were raped of their land and their culture. Today they are still facing extinction. They have lost a huge amount of their land and culture due to the insensitive and immoral actions of the oppressors.

When explorers came over to the New World, they were given grants by their government (usually King or Queen) giving them “rightful” ownership of the land. To the explorers this meant to use whatever means necessary to insure a safe haven for themselves. This usually meant kicking the Native Americans off their land, stealing their property and killing them if need be. Since the grant gave them approval by the government, criteria one is meet. The government, like in Culloden, sent over troops to a foreign land to crush any opposition to the government’s claims. Soldiers aboard the ships would use force to take away the Native Americans and make them slaves for labor. 

When United States of America was founded, the Louisiana Purchase allowed for further exploration of the west and led for many Native American’s land to be stolen by the Americans.

However, these people were not left out to dry. They were given wasteland reservations to live on. To get to these reservations they had to walk hundreds of miles to the designated areas, much like the Armenians. In these reservations, the Native Americans had little food and were constantly watched by white troops. Their freedom to follow the buffalo was restricted and due to this they had less food. Not only did this affect their food resources, this also took away their culture. For hundreds of years the Native Americans followed the buffalo as they roamed and relied heavily on them as a major food source.  Nowadays, the Native Americans are still looked down upon and have trouble being socially accepted. They are still discriminated and this qualifies them for the second criteria. One account has over 700 Sioux tribesmen dieing in self defense in one battle. The Sioux were resisting the movement of their tribe in the Dakotas to Oklahoma reservations. [Disrupting the Natives] 

Today there are many groups and organizations trying to preserve what is left of the Native American Culture, in forms of museums and libraries. Also, there are some groups that are seeking reparation for the descendants that still feel the repercussions of the genocide. These groups, taking a stand against the immoral actions of past governments, meet criteria three. “National Relief Charities (NRC) provides program services that benefit Native Americans throughout the United States. Our mission is ‘to help Native American people improve the quality of their lives by providing opportunities for them to bring about positive changes in their communities.’” [National Relief Charities] The mission of this charity, and charities like this one, try to bring a better future for Native Americans by continuing the culture of the past. 

The Native Americans have faced the longest racial genocide in history. Since the 15th century Europeans and later Americans have socially outcast them, stripped them of their traditions, culture and heritage, and killed thousands upon thousands of them. Unfortunately this genocide can not be swept under the rug, like many Americans try to do, and the outcomes still affect their and our society. The genocide was bloody, brutal and belittling to a people with a rich tradition and wealth of knowledge and art to share. 

                                              Works Cited

BBC News Website
   Q&A Sudan’s Darfur Conflict
HYPERLINK “http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm” http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3496731.stm

End of the Oregon Trail Center
Disrupting the Natives
 HYPERLINK “http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/road2oregon/sa19indians.html” http://www.endoftheoregontrail.org/road2oregon/sa19indians.html

National Relief Charities

Mission Statement                           

 HYPERLINK “http://www.nrcprograms.org/” http://www.nrcprograms.org/

In Darfur, My Camera Was Not Nearly Enough
Brian Steidle — Washington Post, Sunday, March 20, 2005; Page B02
 HYPERLINK “http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/alert/darfur/steidle/?gclid=CN3gy8Dj2YgCFQtRGgodYRDpkg” http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/alert/darfur/steidle/?gclid=CN3gy8Dj2YgCFQtRGgodYRDpkg

American Indian Holocaust
 HYPERLINK “http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/aiholocaust.html” http://www.unitednativeamerica.com/aiholocaust.html

American Holocaust
by: David E. Stannard
November, 1993

The Battle of Culloden Film

New Yorker Article 

DEAD RECKONING
The Armenian genocide and the politics of silence.
By ELIZABETH KOLBERT
Issue of 2006-11-06
Posted 2006-10-30

The Republic of Biafra was a secessionist state that existed from 30 May 1967 to 15 January 1970. The inhabitants were mostly Igbo. Conflicts with other Nigerian ethnicities led to the Igbo-dominant Eastern region seceding from Nigeria to create the independent state of Biafra.  The creation of the new country was the main cause for the Nigerian-Biafran War. The state was formally recognized by Gabon, Haiti, Ivory Coast, Tanzania and Zambia. Other nations which did not give official recognition but which did provide support and assistance to Biafra included Israel, France, Portugal, Rhodesia, South Africa and the Vatican City. After two-and-a-half years of war, during which a million civilians had died in fighting and from famine, Biafran forces agreed to a ceasefire with the Nigerian Federal Military Government, and Biafra was reabsorbed into Nigeria.

In 1960 Nigeria had become independent of the United Kingdom.  As with many other new African states, the borders of the country did not reflect earlier ethnic boundaries. Thus the northern desert region of the country contained semi-autonomous feudal Muslim states, while the southern population was predominantly Christian and Animist. In January 1966, a group of primarily eastern Igbo led a military coup during which 30 political leaders including Nigeria’s Prime Minister were killed. In July 1966 northern officers staged a counter-coup. Muslim officers named a Christian from the small Anga tribe, 33-year-old General Yakubu “Jack” Dan-Yumma Gowon, as the head of the Federal Military Government The two coups deepened ethnic tensions. In September 1966, approximately 30,000 Igbo were killed in the north, and some Northerners were killed in backlashes in eastern cities.

Now, therefore, I, Lieutenant-Colonel Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu, Military Governor of Eastern Nigeria, by virtue of the authority, and pursuant to the principles, recited above, do hereby solemnly proclaim that the territory and region known as and called Eastern Nigeria together with her continental shelf and territorial waters shall henceforth be an independent sovereign state of the name and title of “The Republic of Biafra”.
In January 1967, the military leaders agreed on a loose confederation of regions.  But on 26 May the Eastern region voted to secede from Nigeria. On 30 May, 34-year old General Chukwuemeka Odumegwu-Ojukwu, the Eastern Region’s military governor, announced the Republic of Biafra, citing the Easterners killed in the post-coup violence. The discovery of vast oil reserves in the Niger River delta, a sprawling network of rivers and swamps at the southernmost tip of the country, tempted the Federal Government to re-annex the region. The Eastern region was very ill equipped for war, out-manned, and out-gunned by the military of the remainder of Nigeria. The UK, USSR and US, provided militarily support to the Nigerian government. British interests have bee clearly revealed in declassified files. “Our direct interests are trade and investment, including an important stake by Shell/BP in the eastern Region”.
In September 1968, the federal army planned the “final offensive.” Initially the offensive was neutralized by Biafran troops. In the latter stages, the Nigerian government troops broke through the fiercely defended Biafran lines. On 30 June 1969, the Nigerian government banned all Red Cross aid to Biafra and restricted food supplies. Later in October 1969, Ojukwu appealed in vain to the UN to mediate a cease-fire. But the federal government called for Biafra’s unconditional surrender. By the end of 1969 the Marine Commando Division of the Nigerian army, led by 31-year-old Colonel General Benjamin Adesanya Maja Adekunle, of the Bachama tribe, alias ‘The Black Scorpion’, cut Biafra in half. Ojukwu fled to Ivory Coast, leaving his 42-year-old chief of staff, Philip Effiong, in charge. Effiong called for a cease-fire 12 January. It is still not known how many died as a direct result of the war and the blockade, but it is believed to be at least one million and as high as three million. More than one million people had died from starvation. I always wondered, who counted them. In today’s Nigerian school and history books, you are hard pressed to find anything about that episode.  
 
So imagine, two hot headed, thirty-some Colonels decided about the fate of millions. That was most common in emerging independent African countries in those days. Any bloke could take a crack at it. Look at Colonel Muamar al-Gaddafi. They liked to be called Colonel, rather than General. You explain me why.
Biafra covered near 30,000 sq mi of land; borders were shared with Nigeria to the north, Cameroon to the east. The coast was on the Gulf of Guinea in the south. Two rivers flow from Biafra into the Gulf of Guinea: the Cross River and the Niger River. Igbo was the predominant language spoken along with other, including Efik and Ibibio.

There was even a Bank of Biafra. Due to the ongoing war, the bank was relocated several times. A new currency of bank notes included 5 shillings and 1 Pound.  

At the beginning of the war Biafra had 3,000 troops, but at the end of the war the troops totaled 30,000. There was no official support for the Biafran army by another nation throughout the war, although arms were clandestinely acquired. A number of European soldiers of fortune served the Biafran cause. German born Rolf Steiner was a Lt. Colonel assigned to the 4th Commando Brigade. He later served with the Anyanya rebels in southern Sudan. Welshman Taffy Williams received his military training in South Africa. Noted for his bravery under fire he served two tours of duty with the Biafran Army, rising to the rank of Major and was the last white mercenary to leave the country as Federal Troops closed in. He met author Frederick Forsyth there as a war correspondent, and served as the inspiration for the character of Carlo Shannon in Forsyth’s The Dogs of War (novel). The Biafrans managed to set up a small yet effective air force. The new pilots had trained with the Royal Canadian Air Force. Although completely unrelated, so did I. The first planes included two WWII B-25 Mitchells, one B-26 Invader, a converted DC-3 and one Dove. By the spring of 1969, Biafra had built five MFI-9Bs in Gabon, calling them “Biafra Babies”. 
The international humanitarian organization “Doctors Without Borders” came out of the suffering in Biafra. During the crisis, French medical volunteers, in addition to Biafran health workers and hospitals, were subjected to attacks by the Nigerian army and witnessed civilians being murdered and starved by the blockading forces. French doctor Bernard Kouchner, with the help of other French doctors, put Biafra in the media spotlight and called for an international response. Vaccine supply shortages during the Biafra smallpox campaign led to the development of a vaccination technique, which led to interruption of smallpox transmission in West Africa.

Image via Wikipedia

Violence between Igbo Christians and Hausa or Fulani Muslims has been continued since the end of the civil war in 1970. Government sanctioned killings were taking place in the southeastern city of Onitsha. The Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra advocates a separate country for the Igbo people of Southeastern Nigeria. MASSOB’s leader, Ralph Uwazuruike, was arrested in 2005 and is being detained, together with oil militant Mujahid Dokubo-Asari, on treason charges. There is a sizable contingency of Biafrans in diaspora.
Today, Chief Emeka Ojukwu enjoys the role of elder statesman, living in comfort in the former Biafran capital, Enugu. Forgiven by the Nigerian authorities in the early 1980s, he admits to no remorse for the events of the civil war.  For the men who fought for the Biafran cause, defeat has been followed by years of humiliation. The wounded veterans line up in their wheelchairs alongside the main roads in Enugu, begging for money from passers-by. They believe they are being punished for fighting on the losing side. He wants food, he wants to educate his children and he wants shelter. He wants to be treated like any other Nigerian. When the civil war ended, the government promised the Ibo people that there would be no victors and no vanquished.  Chief Ojukwu believes the Ibos have been largely excluded from power ever since and this could cause instability in the future. “None of the problems that led to the war have been solved yet,” he says. There is plenty of resentment but little talk of secession among the Ibo today.  Following Nigeria’s recent return to democracy, many of the country’s diverse peoples, not just the Ibos, are demanding greater autonomy. Nigeria is a young country. The vast majority of its population is under 30 years old. Only a small proportion of them have direct memories of the war. But the causes of the Biafran conflict – ethnic rivalry and mistrust – are as relevant today as ever .

Niger Delta Militants Warn Boko Haram, Threaten Oil Installations

9 January 2012 – A militant group in the Niger Delta has warned that it will be forced to retaliate the killing of Christians and other Southerners by the extremist Islamic sect, Boko Haram, if the federal government failed to tackle the security challenges in parts of the country. This was just before it threatened to attack major oil installations and military bases if nothing urgent was done to check the ugly situation. The group, Movement for the Liberation of the People of the Niger Delta (MLPND), specifically flayed the killing of Christians, especially those from the southern part of Nigeria, by the sect and described it as one provocation too many. Leader of the group, Mr. Dan Anderson, who disclosed this in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, said it would resume the attacks by the end of January to protest the brutal killing of Christians and Southerners by the Boko Haram in some states of the North. “The bloody activities of these people are becoming very unbearable. What is their demand? What do they actually want?” The militant leader whose group was at the forefront of the famous Kaiama Declaration said, “We are on ground. What we will do this month end will be drastic. We started this struggle and it has been found out that the system is not working. We fought for the betterment of all Niger Delta people such as free healthcare, standard education, steady electricity, good road and others but none of these things have been provided. We will shake this system because we want the federal government to give us our fare share of the national cake,” He said that, contrary to theirs,the actions of the sect were provocative. The Muslims have their biggest mosque on Gambia Street in Port Harcourt where they shut down the major road during Juma’t services without interference.

The Holocaust, otherwise known as the ‘Shoah’ by the Jewish people, was the Genocide of political undesirables and ethnic minorities during the Second World War, particularly on the Jewish population in Europe. Six million people were systematically exterminated by Nazi Germany in a horrifically sophisticated and efficient system, with the victims including Soviet and Polish civilians, Prisoners of War, homosexuals, disabilities, Gypsies and Jews.

The ‘Final Solution’ was a plan orchestrated by Heinrich Himmler (Reichsmarhsall of the SS), Reinhard Heydrich, Hermann Goering and many other accomplices to answer the ‘Jewish Question’. This would involve the construction of extermination camps to build and industrialise the extermination of the Jewish population in Europe.

The Holocaust had a major impact on the world as it had brought genocide on a scale that had never been seen before. Within a period of six years, Nazi Germany (which, prior to the war had been rather highly regarded) managed to systematically eradiate the lives of six million people through various means. The discovery of concentration camps near the end of the Second World War not only astounded soldiers liberating the camps, but also the rest of the world. The lack of human compassion and the sheer efficiency of the murders was confronting to all who heard about it. The Nuremburg Trials of 1946 where numerous Nazi war criminals were sentenced to life, imprisonment or merely set free brought much anger in the world community as well.

 Michael Arthur Newdow hasresearched this and submitted a paper on just these kinds of atrocities.

As long as people believe in absurdities, they will continue to commit atrocities -Voltaire 

The human history is full violence and atrocities. Some scholars have suggested that aggression should be regarded as a basic instinct. Freud considered aggression as a dynamic factor in mental life. Psychologist Eric Fromm in his most well known work the Anatomy of Human Destructiveness expresses that the violence of the dominant culture is not biological in its origin. The aggression and destructiveness are approached, as multi-dimensional phenomenon .These may be a tragic facet of the human condition. During the past, several hundred years’ mass atrocities were committed against humanity.  Most of these atrocities were committed by the technologically advanced nations. The victims suffered and the perpetrators went unnoticed. The history teaches us a lesson. If the humans unable to learn from their past mistakes the violence and atrocities will affect the modern civilization repeatedly.

  Atrocities have usually involved torture, maiming, or killing of civilians and noncombatants; destruction of nonmilitary targets; maltreatment and killing of wounded and prisoners of war; and use of weapons to cause superfluous damage or injury.

 Genocide

Genocide is the organized killing of a people for the express purpose of putting an end to their collective existence. Genocide requires central planning and a machinery to implement it. The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide describes genocide as “acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group.” This definition applies in the case of the atrocities committed against humanity by various superpowers in the past. 

Atrocities Committed by the Spanish Invaders in South America

Francisco Pizarro went for the conquest of Peru -South America in 1524, with 80 men and 40 horses. Pizarro was not a literate man but he was a rustles soldier driven by insatiable desire to find gold. Spanish conquerors led by Francisco Pizarro wiped-out a civilization. The Spanish invaders killed the natives, looted their gold. The invaders even used biological mode of attacks introducing smallpox and measles to the indigenous people killing masses. By 1650 AD many native people had died, empty houses stood in empty villages. The flourished self-sufficient civilization of South America came to nonexistent. It was a terrifying atrocity committed by the Spanish invaders in South America.

 The cruel and Iron Fist of the Portuguese Invaders

As a colonial super power, Portuguese had a fear inducing reputation. The Portuguese unleashed many cruelties against the people of Asia, Africa and South America. They committed a number of atrocities in Ceylon. They vandalized the religious buildings and looted the wealth. They tortured the natives and forced them to renounce their traditional religion. The General Azavedu   is still remembered as a symbol of a bloodthirsty villain who ordered the Portuguese Army to launched heavy cruelty against the people. They killed infants, raped women and burnt books. The people were subjected to torture, massacre, and starvation.

 Atrocities committed by the British Army

The British Army committed a number of atrocities in Africa, India, and Sri Lanka. The Sepoy rebellion in 1857 which was an outcry against the repression was crushed in a ruthless manner. On the 13 April 1919 General Reginald Edward Harry Dyer of the British Army ordered his men to open fire at an unarmed group of people which mostly consisted of women and children at Amritsar which later came to known as Jallianvala Baga massacre. Over 300 killed and thousands wounded. Although children were among the victims no action was taken against the General Dyer by the British Army.

 A few years after the Kandyan Convention in 1818 natives stood against the British colonial rulers. Martial Law was declared and the revolt was suppressed in a vigorous manner. Major MacDonald of the British Army set fire to the houses, burnt the grain and killed the cattle as an act of retaliation. Many collaborators were shot and some were exiled. Even the family members were taken prisoners. Keppetipola Disawe- the prominent leader of the Uva rebellion of 1918 was executed and his family was deported. Keppetipola Disawe ’s  son died under the captivity.

 The British Army used a cruel force to defeat the 1848 revolt led by Gongalegoda Bada and Puran Appu . Inhuman and sadistic punishments were inflicted on the villagers and the Army destroyed the fertile social fabric. Many people became the victims of hostile actions and starvation.

 Dark Face of America

The new white settlers in America considered the native tribal people as savages and they were subjected to various atrocities. Their lands were seized and the culture was destroyed. Although the Red Indians were portrayed as brutal uncivilized community even in the Hollywood movies , they had a developed and distinctive livelihood, which connected with nature. They were nature-loving people and helped to preserve the environment for thousand years.

 The Native American chief Seattle expressed his surprise when the US President Franklin Pierce asked him to sell the land. In return. Seattle wrote “how can you buy or sell the sky, the warmth of the land? The idea is strange to us. If we do not own the freshness of the air and the sparkle of the water, how can you buy them? Every part of this earth is sacred to my people. Every shining pine needle, every sandy shore, every mist in the dark woods, every clearing and humming insect is holy in the memory and experience of my people. The sap which courses through the trees carries the memories of the red man.

 Slavery in the United States had its origins with the first English Colonization of North America in 1607. Slavery lasted in the US until 1865. The slaves treated like material property rather than humans. They had to work in plantations under rough conditions. In the slave market men were separated from their wives, and frequently children were taken from their mothers. The slaves were often punished for slightest mistakes and these punishments consisted of wiping, clubbing, and sometimes chopping off body parts.

 The Americans have also been criticized for the atrocities committed in Vietnam and Iraq. In Vietnam the US forces were accused of using napalm and crop destruction as well as killing of killing of unarmed civilians, mostly women and children, at the village of My Lai in 1968.

  In 2003 Human Rights Watch report   said that civilian deaths in Iraq “reveal a pattern by U.S. forces of over-aggressive tactics, indiscriminate shooting in residential areas and a quick reliance on lethal forces. Some informed estimates place Iraqi civilian causalities at over 600,000.

 Italian Crimes in Africa 

In October 1911, during the Italo – Turkish War, Italian forces invaded North African territories (modern day Libya) slaughtering a large number of tribal men women and children.  Mussolini’s soldiers committed massive atrocities in Libya and Ethiopia before and during the Second World War.  They used tanks and airplanes and often poisonous mustard gas against the natives. Italian Fascists built concentration cams before the Nazi Holocaust in Colonial Libya during 1929 – 1933. In these concentration camps men were tortured and killed, women were raped, children were staved to death. The Libyan tribal leader Omar Mukhtar stood against the invaders and launched a 20 year long guerrilla war using primitive weaponry against the well equipped Italian Army. His freedom struggle came to an end in 1931. He was wounded in a battle, captured and then executed by the Italian Army.    

 The Italian Fascists conducted a systematic ethnic cleansing in the occupied territories in North Africa.  The Italian fascist invasion in 1935 and subsequent occupation of Ethiopia were accompanied by numerous atrocities. The Italian forces used mustard gas against the civil targets, bombed hospitals and villages killing tens of thousands of people.  

 French in Algeria and Indochina

The French occupied Algeria for 132 years and worst atrocities were committed between 1830 and 1962. In 1840 Thomas Bugeaud, the Governor General of Algeria launched an attack on Algerian civilians killing and deporting masses. According to some reports hundreds of people were burned alive or asphyxiated in caves where they sought refuge from the advancing French troops. The French troops set fire to Algerian villages killing civilians and raping women. They destroyed property, food, and animal stocks which led to starvation among the indigenous population.   During France’s occupation of Algeria a  large numbers of Algerians were forced into “tent cities” and concentration camps.  . It has been estimated that from 1830 to 1900, between 15 and 25% of the Algerian population died in such camps.

 In 1957 the International Red Cross disclosed the widespread use of torture by the French army and police against thousands of Algerians The torture techniques used by the French included electricity applied to the most sensitive parts of the body, near drowning in water, sodomy with glass and wood objects, hanging by the feet and hands, and burning with cigarettes. (Maran, Rita (1989). Torture: The Role of Ideology in the French-Algerian War. New York: Praeger). The most outrages act was the Massacres of May 1945 in which 45,000 Algerians were killed within a few days by the French occupied forces.

 French Indo-China comprised the French protectorates of Cambodia, Laos, Annam, Tongkin, and the French colony of Cochin-China.  In May 1945 1400 former French POWs released by the British from Japanese internment camps in South Vietnam entered Saigon and went on a deadly rampage attacking civilians even killing innocent children.  French forces violated the laws or customs of war in the Indochina conflict which lasted from 1946 – 1954.  The French Foreign Legions last stand in Indo China in 1950 and they were defeated in the Battle of Dien Bien Phu .

 The Horrific Face of the Japanese Imperialism

During the period of Japanese Imperialism a large number of atrocities committed in the occupied Asian countries. The Japanese Imperial Army conducted crimes against enemy civilians and enemy combatants. In the ill famous Nanking Massacre in 1937 hundreds of thousands of Chinese civilians were murdered and 20,000–80,000 women were raped by the Japanese soldiers. The Imperial Army abducted young women from China and Korea to serve as comfort women or sex slaves. An estimated one hundred thousand to four hundred thousand female sex slaves were forced to deliver sexual services to Japanese soldiers during the World War 2.

 Between 1937 and 1945, the Japanese military murdered from nearly 3,000,000 to over 10,000,000 people, most likely 6,000,000 Chinese, Indonesians, Koreans, Filipinos, and Indochinese, among others, including Western prisoners of war. (Professor R.J Mummel the Faculty of Political Science – University of Hawaii).

 The Gloomy History of Australia

The Europeans, who established the new settlements in Australia, did not encounter any major resistance from the native population. The aboriginals sometimes helped the white settlers providing food when they faced scarcities. The Aboriginals were no match for the highly armed European settlers. Gradually the natives were attacked and driven to the desert land. In the ill famous Myall Creek massacre in 1830 even the aboriginal children were murdered.

 From 1869 to the late 1960s (in some parts until 1970) the Australian governments removed part-Aboriginal children from their mothers, parents, families and communities, often by force. . Children were placed with institutions and from the 1950s began also being placed with white families. Aboriginal children were expected to become labourers or servants, Aboriginal girls in particular were sent to homes established by the Board to be trained in domestic service. These victims later came to know as the Stolen Generation. According to Dr Jane McKendrick Psychiatrist at the Melbourne University stated that ‘a large number of people from the Stolen Generations were either psychologically, physically or sexually abused while in care.

 Atrocities committed by the German Army during the WW2

Under the Hitler’s regime, NAZI Germany exterminated over 6 million Jews in concentration camps. The German SS committed serious crimes in the occupied territory. Torture, deportation, execution often used against Jews, Polish, Russian and Gipsy people. Between 1939 and 1945, the SS assisted by collaborationist governments and recruits from occupied countries, systematically killed somewhere between 11 and 14 million people. Many innocent people were starved to death. The Holocaust remains as a dark patch in the human history.

 Israelites against Palestine

Israel was condemned by the UN for launching systematic attacks against Palestine civilians. The resent attacks in Gaza killing of civilians and destruction of thousands of homes could be described as one of the dreadful atrocities committed by the Israel Army.   According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, 1,434 Palestinians were killed during the Israeli offensive, 960 of them civilians, among them 288 children. Israeli actions in Gaza created a humanitarian as well as human dignity crisis. Following massive destruction of livelihoods and the deterioration of infrastructure 80 % of Gaza population now live in humanitarian assistance. 

 Ending Atrocities

Crimes against humanity, as defined by the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court Explanatory Memorandum, “are particularly odious offences in that they constitute a serious attack on human dignity   or grave humiliation or a degradation of one or more human beings. They are not isolated or sporadic events, but are part either of a government policy   (although the perpetrators need not identify themselves with this policy) or of a wide practice of atrocities tolerated or condoned by a government or a de facto authority. Murder; extermination; torture; rape and political, racial, or religious persecution and other inhumane acts reach the threshold of crimes against humanity only if they are part of a widespread or systematic practice. Isolated inhumane acts of this nature may constitute grave infringements of human rights, or depending on the circumstances war crimes   but may fall short of falling into the category of crimes under discussion.

 Gareth Evans, President, International Crisis Group, to Crimes Against Humanity Initiative expresses the views as follows

 When it comes to international relations, and in particular the great issues of war and peace, violence, and catastrophic human rights violations with which we are concerned here, there is a well-established view that anyone who approaches things in this kind of generally optimistic frame of mind must be incorrigibly naïve, if not outright demented.  Certainly in the case of genocide and atrocity crimes—either directly committed by a government against its own people, or allowed to happen by a government unable or unwilling to stop it—it is hard for even the incorrigibly naïve to remain optimistic. In this world we inhabit—full of cynicism, double standards, crude assertions of national interest, high-level real-politic, and low-level maneuvering for political advantage.

 There are no Cruel Nations

Every nation has committed some sort of atrocity against one another. In the broad sense all were perpetrators as well as the victims. There are no cruel or atrocious nations as such. Only individuals with their prejudices can lead the people to commit atrocities. The people ought to be conscious and vigilant about such dark forces.

 The words of the Indian Philosopher J. Krishnamurti ( in Freedom from the Known, pp.51-52 )  gives  broader understanding how the seeds of violence  and prejudices germinate in the human mind.

 When you call yourself an Indian or a Muslim or a Christian or a European, or anything else, you are being violent. Do you see why it is violent? Because you are separating yourself from the rest of mankind. When you separate yourself by belief, by nationality, by tradition, it breeds violence. So a man who is seeking to understand violence does not belong to any country, to any religion, to any political party or partial system; he is concerned with the total understanding of mankind.

 Michael Arthur Newdow on Atrocities and Genocide

Michael Arthur Newdow expresses his views on Atrocities and Genocide as follows…..

 People don’t simply wake up one day and commit genocide. They start by setting themselves apart from others, diminishing the stature of those adhering to dissenting beliefs in small, insidious steps. They begin by saying, ‘We’re the righteous, and we’ll tolerate those others.’ And as the toleration diminishes over time, the inevitable harms are overlooked. It is for that reason that James Madison wisely wrote that ‘it is proper to take alarm at the first experiment on our liberties’.” 

This is the history of our human race,and many of these horrific things were carried out in the name of God?But I seriously doubt that God told these people to kill or torture anyone(not the God I know anyhow).

But then we see the pain we have inflicted on God’s creatures,(no I’m not talking about just the ones we eat,I see nothing wrong with hunting to feed your family ,but,yes,I see a problem with hunting for sport.Most hunters are out their in there tree stands,and blinds to feed their families and to promote the  continued health of the species they are hunting ,yes I know over-hunting has annihilated many species, but if  we don’t hunt we risk a population explosion,and the deterioration of the food chain,so hunt or don’t it’s your choice as a human.)But I am speaking of animal cruelty and animal testing.1st off what is animal cruelty?Wikipedia describes animal cruelty as…

Cruelty to animals, also called animal abuse or animal neglect, is the infliction of suffering or harm upon non-human animals, for purposes other than self-defense. More narrowly, it can be harm for specific gain, such as killing animals for food or for their fur, although opinions differ with respect to the method of slaughter. Diverging viewpoints are held by jurisdictions throughout the world.

Broadly speaking, there are two approaches to the issue. The animal welfare position holds that there is nothing inherently wrong with using animals for human purposes, such as food, clothing, entertainment, and research, but that it should be done in a humane way that minimizes unnecessary pain and suffering. Animal rights theorists criticize this position, arguing that the words “unnecessary” and “humane” are subject to widely differing interpretations, and that the only way to ensure protection for animals is to end their status as property, and to ensure that they are never used as commodities. Laws concerning animal cruelty are designed to prevent needless cruelty to animals, rather than killing for other aims such as food, or they concern species not eaten as food in the country involved, such as those regarded as pets.

I totally agree with this definition and ask you to think about this when you see an abandoned animal on the side of the road,starving,and infested with parasites.Is it better this way sometimes or do we contact a person or shelter to collect the animal to save it’s life.Also I would encourage each of you reading this to promote and donate to no-kill shelters.

Research Versus Animal Rights

Clamps lock the rabbit’s head into place. Clips keep the eyelids open. A researcher releases a drop of oven cleaner into unblinking eyes, then records what happens to the eye tissue over a period of time. The substance could cause the animal’s eyelids to swell. The eyes may bleed. Maybe the rabbit goes blind. Maybe it snaps its neck trying to escape. The end result will be a product label that warns people to avoid eye contact with this oven cleaner.

Here’s another scenario. A woman who has suffered emotionally her whole life is finally diagnosed with manic depression. She finds, to her amazement, that taking the drug lithium ends her regular descents into depression. She can now enjoy life and function at a much higher level.

This woman may not necessarily agree with animal testing, but she cannot help but feel grateful for the animal experiments on guinea pigs that led researchers to discover lithium’s soothing quality.

This woman may not necessarily agree with animal testing, but she cannot help but feel grateful for the animal experiments on guinea pigs that led researchers to discover lithium’s soothing quality.

The sad thing is I’ve been against animal research since grade school when our biology teacher insisted we dissect frogs to learn more about (human biology?)I asked if it would be different if we dissected a human? my teacher was appalled that I would even think such a thing,I was then promptly taken to the principals office given an F on the project and 3 days detention.I am a member of both forms of P.E.T.A. people for the ethical treatment of animals and people eating tasty animals,God gave us dominion over the animals to make sure that they flourished but also to ensure that man wouldn’t go hungry and be over run by said animals,I firmly believe if you can not eat it don’t kill it for it’s fur or antlers or any other part of the animal.With all our technology can we not find a better way to test our products than on harmless,innocent, little animals?

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Comments Animal Testing

Ninety-four percent of animal testing is done to determine the safety of cosmetics and household products leaving only 6% for medical research! Cosmetic testing is banned in Belgium, Netherlands and the U.K.. Europe has been phasing out all products related to animal testing since 2002 and they plan to completely ban all products by 2009. This is a big step in right direction for millions of animals who were helplessly killed during tests for cosmetics and household products. Unfortunately the U.S. is still home to many companies who continue to legally perform horrible test on animals even though the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Consumer Product Safety Commission doesn’t require animal testing for cosmetics or household products!

Most of the animals that are used in testing are bred just for testing, but many others come from the pound. Mice, rabbits, dogs, guinea pigs, cats and monkey’s are the most commonly used animals for tests. It has been proven that there is already enough existing safety data, as well as in vitro (test tube) alternatives to make animal testing for cosmetics and household products even more unnecessary and unethical. By just listing the names of the tests I will be able to give you a better idea of what these poor animals go through. Whole Body, Short-term Toxicity, Skin Penetration, Skin Irritancy, Eye irritancy, Skin Sensitization, Phototoxicity & Photosensitisation, Mutagenicity, Carcinogenicity, Reproductive Toxicity, Teratogenicity and Finished Product Testing are all common tests performed on animals.

The LD50 test short for lethal dose, is one of the worst tests that was developed back in 1927 and is still in use today. Groups of animals are dosed with different amounts of a test substance in order to determine the dose which kills half of the animals! Animals are often force-fed the substance. The LD50 test is known to use huge, unrealistic doses that are completely unrelated to possible exposure levels. There are now other tests available that use less animals and lower doses, yet this old, discredited LD50 test continues. During another common test, the Draize eye-and skin-irritation test, rabbits are immobilized in full-body restraints while a substance is dripped or smeared into their eyes or onto their shaved skin. Rabbits often scream in pain and many break their necks trying to get free. The Draize test has been proven in studies to “grossly over predicted the effects that could be seen in the human eye, and does not reflect the eye irritation hazard for man”. The human four-hour patch skin test has proved to provide chemical skin-irritation data that are “inherently superior to that given by a surrogate model, such as the rabbit.”

With so much going on in the world and our lives, I know it easy to feel overwhelmed and helpless. But by reading this article you have proved that you do care. I know it is hard and horrible to even think of what is happening behind closed doors. But right now there are millions of animals who are caged, tortured, and can’t speak for themselves. You can make progress and reach out to help them by taking just a second to sign this online petition here. By not purchasing products from companies that continue to test on animals you are also sending the message that it is not right.

More about Animal Testing:

• Should animal testing be banned?
• UK government taken to court over animal testing
• Modifying Creatures in the Name of Science
• Testing Sensitivity Without Skin

Please think of these questions our moral compass isn’t always pointing to true north these days.Now an animal only kills to(a) Protect it’s self or family.(b)Because it needs to eat or feed it’s family.(c)To protect it’s teritory.Those are the only reasons animals kill yet we do it for alot of really stupid reasons so who is more humane?Well you tell me.

            Since March of 2003, there have been widespread and violent conflicts in Darfur, a region of west Sudan. Rebel groups, principally the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA) and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), rose up against the Sudanese government, accusing them of favoring Arab Sudanese over black Africans, who have faced tensions for many years over land and grazing rights. This sparked a large government anti-resistance campaign, carried out in cooperation with the Janjaweed, an Arab militia, involving widespread violence and terror. The events involved with this campaign, have been called genocide, particularly by people who support direct military intervention. However, the events in Darfur, although unfortunate, do not match the official definition of genocide. Despite the label of “genocide” failing to apply to this situation, the U.S., in cooperation with the international community, should act to provide humanitarian aid to refugees, disband the Janjaweed, prevent further violence by threatening the Sudanese government with sanctions, establish safe havens and no fly zones, restrict travel outside the capital, and completely freeze the assets of certain political figures who are identified with having a large involvement in the violence and support of the Janjaweed.

            The situation in Darfur cannot be called genocide because what has taken place does not fit the established definition at the Genocide Convention in 1951. According to the legal definition, as defined by Article II of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide, genocide includes “any acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial, or religious group, including killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, or forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.” Although there has been “cause of serious bodily and mental harm” to civilians, the “intent to destroy a national, ethnical, or religious group” is missing, according to the 2005 report to the UN Secretary General regarding the situation in Darfur.

The International Commission of the inquiry established that the Government of Sudan and the Janjaweed are responsible for major human rights violations, including indiscriminate attacks on civilians, such as mass killings, torture, rape, pillaging, and the destruction of villages. However, the Commission also found that the black Africans of Sudan weren’t being specifically targeted. As mentioned prior, the attacks were indiscriminate; against anyone associated with the resistance. Simply that some tribes were attacked and their tribe members forcibly displaced does not warrant the use of the term “genocide.”. It is recognized that in some instances, crimes were committed with genocidal intent, particularly by the Janjaweed; however these can only be addressed by a competent court on a “case by case basis.”

The term “genocide” not applying to this situation “should not detract from the gravity of the crimes perpetrated in that region” as stated by the report to the UN Secretary General.” The crimes committed in the region are immensely serious, including crimes against humanity and war crimes, and are just as grave as genocide. The U.S. should therefore act, in cooperation with the international community, to prevent further crimes.

An estimated 2.7 million people have been displaced by the conflicts and many of these people are living in refugee camps. The U.S. should provide humanitarian aid to these camps, as many don’t have access to clean water, food, fuel, hygiene, or proper waste disposal. Resources for the aid can be obtained through donations or government funds. The U.S. should also urge other countries to contribute as well. Safe havens to protect civilians should also be established, enforced by armed UN Peacekeepers. Additionally, the U.S. should provide the necessary aid to the UN, such as peacekeepers or resources, such that they have the means to intervene and help the victims of the conflict.    

            Politically and economically, there are several actions that will help reduce the conflicts. First of all, individuals within the Sudanese government who play a large role in promoting the violence should be identified, and have all their assets frozen. The Sudanese government is desperately corrupt, so this method will be effective in scaring the corrupt government officials into changing their policy. Additionally, certain multi-national Sudanese companies should have their assets frozen to further prevent money from going into the corrupt government, further pressuring the government officials to act.

            Militarily, the U.S. can do several things. Many of the attacks on villages comprise of an attack from the air by government aircraft, followed by a ground attack by the Janjaweed. The U.S., again in cooperation with the international community, should establish no fly zones over areas with civilian populations. This will hinder the ability of the Sudanese government to use aircraft against their victims. To deal with the Janjaweed, many steps need to be taken. Although it may be beyond the power of the international community to completely dismantle the Janjaweed without direct military intervention, it is possible take steps to weaken the Janjaweed. First of all, the international community should take necessary action to stop weapons, ammunition, and supplies from reaching the Janjaweed, which are thought to be provided by the government, primarily by helicopter. Therefore, the international community should intercept weapons being sent into the country, and once again, a no fly zone should be established to prevent supplies from being brought to the Janjaweed by helicopter. Also, travel outside of the capital should be restricted, to spotlight regime leaders as not being full members of the international community, and to hinder their ability to interact with the Janjaweed.

            Despite the events in Sudan not fully matching the definition of “genocide,” the U.S. must still take action in cooperation with the international community, politically, economically, and to some degree, militarily, as the events in Sudan are just as grave as genocide. Overall, the U.S. needs to participate in providing humanitarian aid to refugees, dismantling or weakening the Janjaweed, threatening the Sudanese government with sanctions, establishing safe havens and no fly zones to protect civilians and prevent supplies from reaching the Janjaweed, restricting travel outside of the capital, and freezing the assets of regime leaders identified as having a large role in initiating or supporting violence.  

Sources

http://www.un.org/News/dh/dev/scripts/darfur_formatted.htm

http://www.thenation.com/article/genocide-darfur

http://articles.latimes.com/2009/may/04/world/fg-darfur-genocide4

http://www.darfurscores.org/darfur

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3496731.stm

http://www.un.org/News/dh/infocus/sudan/fact_sheet.pdf

http://www.un.org/News/dh/sudan/com_inq_darfur.pdf

http://www.law.northwestern.edu/journals/jihr/v5/n3/7/

In Goodman’s initial area of discussion of “Some Moral Minima; Genocide, Famine, and Germ Warfare (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”, she states “Genocide targets individuals as members of a group, seeking to destroy a race, a culture, a linguistic or ethnic identity (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. I reflect back to after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks were made on The United States. The threat of germ warfare became a very real aspect of war for our nation. Governmental groups, that we were at war against, were considering the decision to use this type of weapon in order to defeat their enemies in larger numbers. With their belief that this was the right way to win the war against us is a case in point of relativism. Majority of Americans viewed this method of war as wrong. Goodman also states, “Wholesale murder is wrong, then, not just for its scale but also for willfully negating individuality, typing its victims, and stirring hatred against the putative failings of the type (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. With this statement, I am in agreement with Goodman. After the 9-11 attacks, many labeled American Muslims as terrorists simply because they were Muslims like the terrorist who bestowed the attacks. This was no different from those terrorist believing that each American that was killed that day held the same beliefs the Al-Qaeda were fighting against.   

When discussing the topics genocide, famine, and germ warfare, Goodman delivers a great argument on why genocide would be better off if it were considered universally immoral. She declares, “Escalating violence strips away moral barriers and blocks the view of faces (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. However, Goodman also provides the argument that “warfare is not always wrong (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”, Yet, she does continue on to write “war is suspect: Its dynamic to readily escapes control through the illusion that weapons are only tools and war itself just another device, the natural extension of diplomacy (Goodman, L.E., 2010).” I do feel uncomfortable with war being related to anything natural and can relate to her opinion; however, this opinion is not relative to every culture.

The second part of morality and relativism that Goodman argues is “terrorism, hostages and child warriors (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. Reflecting on the reading, “Terrorists explode the values they claim to fight for; their victims blood blurs and blots whatever ends were meant to justify the carnage (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. In Iraq, this happens on a daily basis. While it is hard to comprehend that this type of conduct is of acceptance among Al-Qaeda’s vision of Islam, groups of people are being killed because of suicide bombers. They also instill this belief within their children and teach them to be child warriors. It is of their belief that this is what their God desires. If terrorism and warfare were believed to be of wrongdoing, universally, these types of instances could be eluded or at best decreased. I have come to trust that having a better understanding and acceptance of other religions there would be less terrorism, hostages and child warriors as people would have a less ethnocentric view of other cultures.

“Slavery, polygamy, and incest (Goodman, L.E., 2010)” are the next focus in Goodman’s paper. “Slavery is the deepest exploitation, overriding subject hood to make a person a tool for use (Goodman, L.E., 2010).” A lot of people accept that slavery existed and was put to an end; however, slavery still exists today. Human trafficking is one of the biggest forms of slavery found within our society. The international trafficking of women and children for the use of labor or sex has been under scrutiny for some time. In some ethical virtues, polygamy is also considered as a method of slavery. Goodman argues, “In polygamous societies women become acquisitions—displays of wealth or status, objects of enjoyment, means of reproduction, providers of childcare and domestic labor (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. Goodman goes on to discuss Rape and Clitoridectomy in the fourth section. She says that “Rape is exploitative, objectifying, and, yes, again violative. But what it violates is not just another’s body but that other’s personhood, invested, deeply in one’s sexuality (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. Without any hesitation, I agree with Goodman’s opinions of the subjects at hand. I believe there is never a situation that can be deliberated as a commendable time to kill just to kill, molest for sexual gratification, or eliminate someone’s moralities just to gain fortune or reverence.

Goodman states, “If we hope to sift style from substance, and discredit the willful muddling of the two that makes the unfamiliar look exotic, then we are looking not just for family resemblances or a behavioral lowest common denominator, but for moral threads and themes that can anchor norms to recognizably objective values (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. In broad-spectrum of the word, relativism is the reference to a variety of diverse thoughts. Moral relativism affirms the fact of morality not being centered on one complete custom. It can be centered on an individual’s faith and the beliefs that were instilled in them, as normal, by those who raised him or her.

When we view cultures that exist worldwide, we come to realize that there is a multitude of drastically different ethic codes. To me the strongest relative phrase within “Some Moral Minima” is when Goodman writes, “Certain things are simply wrong (Goodman, L.E., 2010)”. I say this because while the issues she presents may be relative as wrong to her ethics, many cultures view these “issues” as a way of life and it is relative to their standards of living.

If the four themes that Goodman debated were universally surveyed, I think that plenty of wars could have been, and, for future reference, be avoided. It is nice to think of how united the world would be if we all had universal moral requirements. However, we cannot agree on many of these issues within our own country, let alone the entire world. As I stated earlier in this paper, pondering the image, that only one accurate ethic exists and that we may be able to find universal moral requirements and arrive at a multiethnic agreement on these issues is, in my belief, a parable.

REFERENCES

Goodman, L. E. (2010). Some Moral Minima. Good Society Journal, 19(1), 87-94. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.