1) If you had to, what cause would you die for?
If it's worth dying for, it's worth trying for
Speaking of dying for a cause, I move into my riveting topic of the Tank Man. In 1989, it seemed that the whole world was in revolution. In divided Berlin, the wall came crashing down, signaling the beginning of the end for the USSR and their massive communist state, but another smaller yet equally impactful event was occurring in the communist country of China. A massive protest in Tiananmen Square led by thousands of people protesting against government corruption. This timeless event leads to the harsh government action, but one man stood up against the oppression, and he would forever be known as the embodiment of this fight for freedom. One man's lone defiance against tyranny would forever change history, and captivate a generation.
Man versus Machine
This famous and infamous photograph epitomizes how one small action can permanently sculpt history. To me, this little image shows how one's small action can create this chain reaction, leading to massive reactions. Great now I'm sounding like Rachel's Challenge :/ you know it seems like you can never get away from that stuff!!.... Anyway, back to the journal and away from my little tangent. But really, this man's actions are amazing! After thousands of people lost their lives in Tinanmen Square because they defied the government, here he is, standing in front of the military's tanks, not faltering from the spot. He would not allow these tanks to pass by him, if they attempted to go around him, he would move into their path again. Can you just imagine what was going through his mind!? He's standing in front of tanks that could crush them, yet he won't back down! It's almost casual for him, holding his bags and oh yeah, I'm going to play chicken with some tanks you know, its causal. And he was not doing it for some fifteen minutes of fame, he was not doing it so he could be paraded around like some minor celebrity or that the international world would glorify him: he did it because it was right. That is what really stands out to me. Tank Man just did what felt right, and he knew what the Chinese government was doing was wrong, and he stood up for the rights of the millions of Chinese people. What it means to me
China's got a few skeletons in its closet..
Rwanda's Darkest Hour
The African Holocaust
Its 1994, and Rwanda is going through tumultous times. The two main ethnic groups of Rwanda, the Hutu and Tutsi, are going for each other's throats. Following the assassination of the Rwandan president, the Hutu's saw this as their time to eliminate the "troublesome" Tutsi's. Within three months of the start of the killings, over 800,000 Tutsi's will have died in a massive genocide, while the majority of the world stood by and watched.
As the conflict within Rwanda escalated, the UN stepped in and attempted to help by sending troops and peacekeepers into the conflict. Commander of the operation was Canadian-born Gregory " Gromo " Alex, and boy, when i got to Rwanda, I had no clue about what kind of ride I'd be in for.
Up Creek Without A Paddle
For starters, I received next to no outside help in regards to aid and supplies. The UN gave me the bare minimum amount of support that they could. They basically gave me some troops, and then left me to my own devices.
The Kids Aren't Alright
Yet, if I thought this slap on the wrist was bad, boy I had no idea what was in store for me. Because this was a conflict nobody really wanted to get involved with, the UN gave the soldiers strict guidelines about what they could and could not do, so basically, they were there to stand and watch innocent people being hacked to death by the machete of injustice. I knew this was wrong, and I really did want to intervene and help the Rwandans, but I wasn't allowed to. I had to sit back and helplessly watch defenseless women and children being slaughtered like cattle in the jungles of Rwanda. However, I refused to go down without a fight. In attempts to save some lives, I used UN convoys to move Tutsi's out of Rwanda to safe locations; however, it could save only so many lives.
Fightin' for the Dyin'
Just try
Which one's worse?
For the last part of this journal, I am going to attempt to answer my own question regarding the Ghosts Of Rwanda documentary we watched. I had asked " how does this genocide compare to that of others throughout history?". Of course, this genocide is much smaller than say the Holocaust or of the Cambodian one in the 1970's, but what it doesn't surpass them in body count, it does surpass them in audacity. For the other two genocides I listed, we sort of knew about the treatment of the Jews, and he didn't really know a lot about what was happening in Cambodia, but we knew a lot about what was happening in Rwanda, and we stood by and let it happen. This genocide was one we could actually prevent, we had the ability to stop it, but we didn't. We sat on our butts and let over 800,000 innocent Rwandans die. How is that fair? How is that right? IT ISN'T. We knew damn well that people were dying in Rwanda, yet nothing happened. Good move America, good move.
Now, I hope you very much so enjoyed my journal, because I really need to go!!! But, before I leave my captive audience, I leave you with a question:
1) Is it right to stand by and let people die when you know you can help?
Now, I must go everybody. Have fun this weekend, and come out and support James River Crew Team as we host our home regatta!! :D So, bye y'all, and this is the end of another Krazy Thought by Kit :)
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Cambodia Genocide: Never Again. (n.d.).Potomac School: An independent K-12 school 3 miles from Washington, DC. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.potomacschool.org/faculty/okoth/GSII/Spring06web/camwebpage-final.htm
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Human Rights Cartoon (55): In Memory of the Tiananmen Square Massacre of June 3-4th, 1989, 20 Years Ago Today | P.a.p.-Blog, Human Rights Etc.. (n.d.).P.a.p.-Blog, Human Rights Etc. | Human rights from the perspective of politics, art, philosophy, law, economics, statistics and psychology.. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://filipspagnoli.wordpress.com/2009/06/03/human-rights-cartoon-133-in-memory-of-the-tiananmen-square-massacre-of-june-3-4th-1989-20-years-ago-today/
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Is this what you're living for worth dying for?. (n.d.). Words Over Pixels - Daily Inspiration. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from www.wordsoverpixels.com/is-what-you-re-living-for-worth-dying-for/dea86321e5bd68f5ad5ee6149373e1bd.ht
KEEP CALM BECAUSE IT'S SENIOR YEAR BABY - KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON Image Generator - brought to you by the Ministry of Information. (n.d.). KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON with the Keep Calm-o-matic. Retrieved April 12, 2013, from http://www.keepcalm-o-matic.co.uk/p/keep-calm-because-it-s-senior-year-baby/
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