The Worth of Souls (Salgado #4)
Genocide (noun): the deliberate killing of a large group of
people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation. See also: mass
murder, massacre, annihilation, extermination, elimination, decimation,
butchery, ethnic cleansing, holocaust.
The Salgado photograph I focused on this week depicts the
Rwandan genocide. Nine men lie strewed across the road. It is hard to tell
where one body ends and the next begins. One body drapes across the wrecked
pickup’s hood, coming through the broken windshield. He wears only socks, which
makes me wonder if the Hutus took his shoes as easily as they took his life.
In Rwanda, three separate ethnic groups exist: Hutu, Tutsi,
and Twa. The Hutu race dominated, blaming the Tutsis for the social and
economic problems facing the country. The reign of President Habyarimana
amplified these tensions through much propaganda. On April 6, 1994, the
president was killed, and war broke out immediately. The Hutus began their plot
to extinguish the entire Tutsi population. By July, 800,000 men, women, and
children had been slaughtered—Tutsis and any Hutus opposed the violence.
I am currently reading Left
to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust by Immaculee
Ilibagiza. A Tutsi, Immaculee spent ninety-one days hiding for her life in a
cramped bathroom with seven other women. She and Salgado both witnessed the
horrors of genocide first-hand.
What I find even more horrifying is the fact that no one
stepped in to help. The world just sat back and watched as thousand of innocent
people were murdered. The United States government knew fully well what was
occurring but chose not to intervene. Almost two months passed before the
United States even publicly recognized
the violence in Rwanda. President Clinton’s administration did not want to have
a repeat failure like what occurred in attempting to assist Somalia, and they
did not see the Rwanda as a valued country in natural resources or strategy. Our
country saw its reputation and personal gain as more important than the lives
of the Rwandan people.
“Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.”
This scripture from Doctrine and Covenants 18 is the perfect reminder to how we
should live our lives. We cannot allow genocide, bullying, or cruelty of any
kind to happen. Somehow we must replace the hate in the world with love. This
is a big task, but if we all work together, I know we can do it.
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Carroll, Rory. "US Chose to Ignore Rwandan Genocide." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 31 Mar. 2004. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/31/usa.rwanda>.
"Genocide in Rwanda." United Human Rights Council. Armenian Youth Federation-Western United States, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm>.
Salgado, Sebastiao. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. 1994. Photograph. New York: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. 170. Print.
Salgado, Sebastiao. Migrations. 1994. Pamphlet. New York: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. 11. Print.
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Carroll, Rory. "US Chose to Ignore Rwandan Genocide." The Guardian. Guardian News and Media Limited, 31 Mar. 2004. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/mar/31/usa.rwanda>.
"Genocide in Rwanda." United Human Rights Council. Armenian Youth Federation-Western United States, n.d. Web. 18 Oct. 2013. <http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm>.
Salgado, Sebastiao. Migrations: Humanity in Transition. 1994. Photograph. New York: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. 170. Print.
Salgado, Sebastiao. Migrations. 1994. Pamphlet. New York: Aperture Foundation, Inc., 2000. 11. Print.
I was moved by this picture too, and shocked to think that this was the real-life situation we are reading about right now in Left to Tell. Illustrating the horror with words and pictures are completely different, and when they come together, the result is heart piercing. These few photographs about the Rwandan genocide made me realize just how horrible the event was. Then, like you said, to think that the United States CHOSE not to intervene is horrifying. I'm sure there were many people in the States who would have jumped at the opportunity to help in any way they could, if the government had just given them that opportunity. But the fact that they chose to IGNORE the people in Rwanda because the US could not see what they could benefit is just plain selfish and is like denying people the right to live. Don't we boast of our freedom? Shouldn't we allow others to have that opportunity too?
ReplyDeleteIt really is interesting how much impact the press and journalists have on our knowledge of world events. Like you said they didn't even mention what had been going until two months after it had started. It is really sad to see that we, as a world power, would ignore such a important event as this.
ReplyDeleteThere should never be a repeat for events such as this, and if there is we need to help fight for the innocent. Right now Sudan comes to mind, but that situation is different and slightly touchy seeing as it's the Sudan government versus the rebels, and supporting the rebels there are al-qaeda. So, we can't really step in without choosing a side. Comparing the two events are completely different though, because those in Rwanda were totally innocent and deserved the help and protection of the US.