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The Heart of Darkess

2004-02-04 21:19:49.398625+00 by petronius 3 comments

For some strange reason I have not paid much attention to the reported genocide in Rwanda, except to note that something Very, Very Bad happened there. I now see my ignorance cannot be excused. Tacitus, who has some experience in Africa, begins a riveting two-part report on the horrifying events in that unhappy land. I am almost speechless. One million people were murdered in about 100 days, mostly by machete or bludgeon. The bare facts stand as an indictment to the civilized world for not stopping this. Highly recommended.

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comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment Re: made: 2004-02-04 23:34:00.029437+00 by: Dan Lyke

Wow. Timothy Burke's comment further down outlining some reasons one might continue to live under that threat is also worth contemplating. For a while I kept meaning to pick up We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will be Killed With Our Families[Wiki], but never did. This might be my impetus.

#Comment Re: made: 2004-02-05 02:21:23.309091+00 by: meuon

Our media and government would have cared if there was oil involved..

#Comment Re: made: 2004-02-05 04:41:39.846868+00 by: susan [edit history]

What one person can inflict upon another under the mistaken belief of superiority appalls me. I don't think the first step to genocide or bigotry is defining group, race, gender, or culture... it's believing that one group is inherently better than the other. Create a group of scapegoats, people to blame or overlook. After years and years of mistreatment and abuse, few will notice or particularly care just when it was that minor infringements turned to injustice, injury to inhumanity. Soon it becomes difficult to remember a time when it hasn't been that way. Then they just stop trying altogether.