Essays on Atrocities

Slavery was a part of the American culture for almost a whole decade (1776-1865), and during that time, many people had to suffer inhumanly for the only solid reason of being a bit different from someone else. There is no way of wiping the past from the memories of those who have struggled, which means that the terror of slavery will always be a part of the human history. As the experience shows, world history is far from being pretty. It has presented its evils so many times that merely counting them would take ages. Every major society, every ...

Hitler and the Nazi party came to power in 1933 by 1939 they had begun their quest to invade and rule all of Europe. During this time, unknown to the rest of Europe Hitler and the Nazis were also implementing their “final solution” which was the systematic execution of Jews and any others that they deemed not suitable to exist in the ideal society that Hitler had been selling to the German people through his speeches and propaganda (Kershaw, 2008, pgs. 36-43). Once the Allied forces defeated the Nazi forces and Hitler escaped his judicial fate by committing suicide. ...

While the resulting dominance of European powers over persons in the areas with which they came into contact was acceptable, the effects of global trade on societal norms of Europe were unprecedented. In other words, just as the Triangle Trade influenced Europe’s place in the world, it also affected its interior societal makeup. The Emergence of Industrial Society in the West highlights the three steps that led to the Age of Revolutions: Commercial Revolution, Scientific Revolution, and Enlightenment (5mins).The Commercial Revolution posed the first threat to European traditions by debunking the ideologies of birthrights as the source ...

Introduction

The purpose of this paper is to show how the western media reported the Sino Japanese war and how China and Japan were portrayed. Several news reports portray the Chinese as being aggressive and violent individuals thus presenting the perception of the Chinese as being less victimized in the war. In contrast, the western media portrays the Japanese as being a rational and courteous group of people while their negative roles and atrocities in both world war II and Sino Japanese war have been overlooked. This paper will further identify the underlying reasons for ideological inclinations of wartime reporting. ...

Survival, Resilience, and Redemption” by Laura Hillenbrand

During the US Civil War, the Union’s famous Gen. Sherman once said that war is “all hell.” Many military commanders, as well as the countless victims of warfare, have echoed this sentiment down through the ages. Certainly, warfare reveals humanity to sometimes be far less than humane. The worst characteristics of human kind are often brought to the forefront by the nature of war and its relentless objectives. But as horrible as warfare can be for the average soldier in the trenches fighting next to his comrades, it can be (and often is) even more nightmarish and unimaginably ...

In Plato's "Apology", Socrates' series of dialogues in the period preceding, during, and after his trial provide an insight into his mastery of rhetoric. That is especially true given his ability to arrange his arguments in a judicious manner. While not overly successful in persuading the jury, the final judgment appears to be as a result of bias and prejudice rather than having a weak argument in the various passages of the "Apology." Socrates makes a persuasive claim that it is not possible to separate wisdom from moral virtue. Therefore, by being a man of wisdom, he could not ...

Colonization is a process in which imperial power systems dominate a region and its components. It features, among other things, cultural domination, political subjugation, religious assimilation and economic exploitations. The colonists used these measures as tools of winning control of the helpless people. Colonization has a close link to massive exploitation and assimilations of new cultures and it further involves actual or threat of use of force. The colonizers were formidable icons and commanded loyalty through aggression. In light of colonialism, established cultures disintegrated. On the case of Britain emperialism,Tarique noted that, “as one of its legacieshas been ...

Amidst the atrocities and times of war, friendship can still bloom between the opposite sides of the conflict. “Cranes,” written by Hwang Sun-won, is a story which was themed upon this idea. The story is about the fate of the two men, named Song-sam and Tok-chae, who had lived in the 38th parallel, or the boundary between the North and South Korea. Song-sam and Tok-chae lived in the opposite sides of Korea, but the 38th parallel made it possible to build their friendship during their childhood days. The story implied that the 38th parallel, especially the neutral place where ...

1. Are the acts of Columbus and the Spanish explorers considered genocide? 2. What, does zinn argue, is the sacrifice of human progress? According to Zinn, for human progress human sacrifice needs to be made. Zinn argues that throughout history there have been several examples of atrocities that have helped in human progress. The discovery of America by Columbus also led to atrocities. Several Indians were killed by Columbus and other explorers and many were taken back as slaves. Zinn claims that bloodshed and deceit have been a necessary part of human progress and have helped in overcoming hindrances ...

The novella, Heart of Darkness is, in the literature world, considered one of the greatest cultural literary works of the 19th century. Conrad takes us through the experiences of the European colonialists in the heart of Africa. The clash of the European and non-European customs form the basis of Conrad's writings. The book has garnered a lot of criticism from African scholars who argue that the book negatively targets the African nation and the African people. The book, according to Chinua Achebe is a mockery of the African people. It ridicules the customs of the native Africans, terming Africa ...

Never a spontaneous phenomenon, racism seems sparked often as an ideological view. Unlikely though it may sound, the white liberal government instituted what continued for over 40 years. Characterized by segregation and violence in response to any opposition, the order came to its end. While in the transitional period, the country established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for the restoration of national unity. Obviously, national reconciliation is possible only through racism eradication since it is racial bias that is at the root of the national disunity and bellicosity. Much as the commission utilized a number of tools towards this ...

Modern instances of racism are rather subtle and usually harder to completely analyze from what the victim recounts later. It ranges from a tinge of scorn from the clerk at the usual supermarket to the stench of serious human rights violation by the police. The concept that these acts of racism are isolated and does not signify any underlying pattern was vehemently upheld by many men and women of authority until recently. But as of today, they stand corrected. Even from a passive standpoint, after hearing from a number of such victims, we have come to accept that this ...

Critically Examine the Contribution made by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to the Development of the International Law of Genocide. Critically Examine the Contribution Made by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to the Development of the International Law of Genocide. At the core of the international law of genocide is the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Genocide Convention). The Genocide Convention came about in 1948 through General Assembly Resolution 260. It came into force in 1951. One hundred forty states ratified the Convention. Its purpose was to deter future acts of ...

Introduction

No doubt this nation has suffered greatly in the recent past and its staying power has been challenged to its limits, chief among them the insurgency of Boko HaramBoko Haram will soon know the strength of our will and commitment to rid this nation of terror we shall spare no effort until we defeat terrorism (Buhari cited in Associated Press, 2015b)). The above quotation is from the first speech of the newly elected President of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari. Buhari knew exactly what he was saying, when put tackling Boko Haram as the first issue of his agenda (Associated Press, ...

Introduction

The Armenian Genocide, which is otherwise known as Armenian Holocaust was the methodical annihilation of members of the Armenian minority within the borders of their native land which is now the Republic of Turkey. Historically, the Armenians are descendants of the ancient people even before the first century of the current era, and were the first nation to deeply adopt Christian culture, which makes them different from other people in the neighboring regions. Most of the genocide committed against the Armenians was carried out in 1915, and the rounding up and killing about 600,000 to 800,000 people ...

History is full of wars, battles, rebellions and revolutions between peoples all across the globe for a plethora of reasons, both, ethical and unethical. When issues cannot be resolved and unrest begins to stir it is, fairly, inevitable, especially when that unrest involves a greater dominating force oppressing a more vulnerable one. This is when rebellion can occur and revolutions begin. One of the most famous revolutionary wars is, of course, the fight for American independence from British rule. But there was another revolution that took place, in the same era, where people rebelled against their oppression in order ...

Introduction

The paper will examine the local and international media, which have played a crucial role in the Rwanda genocide. Local print and radio fueled the killings, while the international media did not take the news seriously and misconstrued events on the ground or even ignored the local reporting. The illiteracy rate was high at the time of the genocide in Rwanda and radio was one of the most important means to deliver the governmental messages to the wider public. It can be stated that the western media, such as CNN, BBC, The New York Times did not maintain the ...

Final Reflective Portfolio

This paper is a reflection of the skills I have gained in this class. It focuses on four texts and analyses them as indicators of my development as a reader and creator of literary and cultural texts. Three of the analyzed texts were created for this class while the fourth was written for a math class.

Part 1: Texts

The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts Fay Goodman's book entitled The Ultimate Book of Martial Arts is already an entertaining read by itself. However, different parts of the book contain paratextual elements that give it a new meaning and make it a more ...

The poem, “Dulce et Decorum Est,” was written by Wilfred Owen in 1917, during World War I. He was killed on 4 November 1918 during the battle to cross the Sambre-Oise canal at Ors. Several lines, if not the whole poem, can be paraphrased quite easily. In essence, the narrator is suggesting that had anyone experienced the same horrors as he had, they would not glorify war. Lines 1 and 2 can be paraphrased as, “We were doubled over from pain and the inability to move; we were sick, coughing continuously, and swore while trudging through mud and muck. ( ...

The world has witnessed many atrocities committed against a group of people based on ethnicity, race, nationality, or religion. Or course, the Holocaust comes to mind immediately as one of the greatest atrocities ever committed by one regime. The acts committed by groups like ISIS and Boko Haram today will long be remember as atrocities against specific groups of people. Another atrocity that stands out in terms of savagery and ruthlessness of the massacre the occurred in the city of Nanking (or Nanjing) in China in 1937 that is often referred to as the Rape of Nanking. This atrocity ...

The post-colonial epoch in Nigeria was marred with violence and the suffering of the Igbo people under the umbrella of the Biafra. While the quest to secede still continued and undeterred by the deliberate suffering inflicted by the Nigerian government on the people whose intention was well understood, the story takes excellent analogy using two elementary protagonists, Odenigbo, and Olanna. The narration clearly alludes to the change of era in the Africa nation’s history that led to the suffering of the people. However, disputes should always be contained before they escalate to war. The paradigms of the analogy ...

FBI VS Jewish Defense League

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has been in operation as a major criminal investigation bureau in the US. This national crime-fighting agency of security goal is to protect America and the larger international community from criminal dangers that affect the world today (US Department of Justice, 2011). It was started in 1908 when Theodore Roosevelt was the president of the US by Robert Bonaparte (Weiner, 2013). Robert Bonaparte was the then attorney general of the US. It started as a task force of special agents, whose work was to track the major crimes that were happening in various ...

In presenting the news in an ethical manner, empirical evidence becomes a vital element. The profession of photojournalism is an integral part of the field of journalism, which responds to this demand for empirical evidence through its very nature. It is not only responsible for bringing important moral issues to light but, in a time where secrecy and covert deeds have taken precedence over openness, it provides a level of perspective regarding the events that occur throughout the world. In assessing the perspectives of professionals in the field as well as various other thinkers and experts it becomes evident ...

Introduction

The issue of trying teens who commit crimes has been subject to debate for several years. It is important to note that the criminal behavior is shown by warrants severe punishments or at least being held responsible. The question as to whether the teen should be tried in the courts like adults who commit a similar crime still elicits divergent reaction and opinion. Proponents of leniency on teens argue that they should always be offered a new lease of life to correct their behavior as such change their criminal mannerism (Bechtold et al. 126). However, such statements are a ...

Introduction and Thesis

A reflection on various countries all around the world depicts the persistent emergence of revolts against the ruling government (s). In the year 2011, the world woke up to the news that a major revolution was developing in Egypt. Often connoted as the “Arab Spring,” the revolution was characterized by the polarization of the Egyptians who had developed a negative notion against the government. The Egyptians perceived their government as corrupt, tyrannical, and oppressive. As a result, a significant portion of the Egyptians occupied the Tahrir Square in Cairo protesting against the ruling regime. In the beginning, only thousands ...

In the developed countries people often concentrate their lives around money and success, as their basic needs for food, shelter and safety are already satisfied. People tend to complain about the salaries that are too small or insurance that does not cover all the essential expenses they have. People live their lives and do not know about the atrocities and tragedies that are happening in the world every minute. The situation in Africa is the one everyone should be aware of to help those who suffer every day. Invisible Children is a 2006 documentary created by three young filmmakers ...

Abstract

Shortly after WW2, Japan became a place where the Allies put on trial Japanese military criminals of different standing. Overall, the process looked methodical and well-though-out, with an ad hoc classification developed for determining the guilt of offenders. The post-war years witnessed the execution of generals and the punishment of soldiers following their brutal orders. However, several years later, a complex of factors like the deliberate destruction of evidence or the enormous number of cases halted the prosecution process expediting its termination. As unethical and immoral as it was, the USA had its reasons not to prosecute some of ...

The essay ‘The joyful sixties in Latin American Literature’ is written by Reinaldo while he is political imprisonment. His writings are based on the lives of people who had been imprisoned and are shaped by his own life experiences. His body of art indicates the animosity that existed in the Cuban government. Arguing from his biography, it is vital to understand that Reinold and the people of Cuba were infringed their rights to freedom of speech (Reinaldo). For instance, he was arrested from publishing his books abroad without the official consent of the government. His art depicted the atrocities ...

African American history is diverse and deep-rooted. What the world knows of it today is through the words of historians. Historians have the ability to describe the events and happenings of a certain age in time and reveal what happened with precision. However if the events are too far-fetched and date back in time, then history can be altered or distorted to suit the needs of biased historians who might be of a particular race or ethnicity. Similarly, African American history has faced the issue of bias in texts and reading, which created hatred and animosity for the race. ...

Introduction

The Armenian Genocide, which is otherwise known as Armenian Holocaust was the methodical annihilation of members of the Armenian minority within the borders of their native land which is now the Republic of Turkey. Reports revealed that the victims reached over a million Armenians who were rounded up by the Ottoman authorities. Historically, the Armenians are descendants of the ancient people even before the first century of the current era. Moreover, the Armenians were the first nation to adopt deeply adopt Christianity in their culture, which makes them different from other people in the neighboring regions. Accordingly, there are ...

The Boko Haram Islamic terror group in Nigeria has been associated with a myriad of hostilities in the recent past including mass bombings and major kidnappings. The recent incident by the group is the brutal bombing and killing of 85 civilians at a village in Northern Nigeria called Dalori. This massive killing, among other atrocities characterize this Islamic extremist group. This manuscript thus appraises this killing among other interrelated activities by the group from a historical perspective. The manuscript equally appraises the reasoning behind the group’s terror activities in Nigeria. Boko Haram is a terror organization based in ...

The Writings of Hernan Cortes and Bartolome de las Casas

The Writings of Hernan Cortes and Bartolome de las Casas In the half-century following Christopher Columbus’ arrival in the so-called “New World” of the Western Hemisphere, millions of indigenous peoples were slaughtered, hundreds of villages had been destroyed, and a hundred-year-old empire had fallen. Though all of these events took place at the hands of Spanish conquistadors, contemporary narratives of this tragic moment in history vary. In the early sixteenth century writings of Hernan Cortes and Bartolome de las Cases, two divergent views of the native population of the Americas and the justification for Spanish conquest emerge. This paper ...

Abstract

This paper describes in detail the explanation about mass murders, the definition of mass murders and the reasons why mass murders are committed. The paper also discusses why people are prone to mass murders and what major causes that trigger mass killing. It describes in detail the relationship between ethnic, religious, social and political reasons that relate with mass murders and why people are forced into killing others. There are also references in the paper taken from mass murders of the past, exemplifying the major mass murderers penned down in history, and it also mentions the recent trends in ...

Abstract

American troops serving in Vietnam turned to drugs and alcohol to deal with the atrocities of war. Initially, the drug of choice in the war was marijuana. However, when the problem was discovered, the military took actions to eliminate marijuana use. This provided an avenue for heroin to become the drug of choice. The production of heroin in Vietnam, the easy accessibility to the drug and the relatively low cost of the drug attracted American troops. It did not take long for heroin addiction to become significant among the troops. Heroin use began to deteriorate the health, welfare, discipline ...

Since the beginning of humankind, evil has always been abhorred. All cultures and societies identify what they view as good and what they consider evil. The notion of right and wrong is relative according to different groups of people. Nonetheless, some actions and behaviors are universally evil according to all communities. Such actions are the likes of stealing or killing. When evil gets committed by individuals or groups of people, communities and clans usually give punishments whose severity depends on the seriousness of the act. The role of discipline is and has always been aimed at deterring the offender ...

Introduction

Schindler’s List is a film centered on the historical injustices committed against German Jews. The perpetrators were Nazi soldiers whose aim was to eradicate the Jewish race in Germany through mechanisms such as indiscriminate shooting, exterminations and gassing of innocent Jews. Trains were used to transport large numbers of Jews to military camps, who would then be distributed to labor camps while the physically weak were killed. The film, therefore, depicts the image of how political situations could damage social stability and cause major atrocities against innocent people. The film relies on symbols in the form of characters ...

Introduction

The paper aims to tackle the constituents of Genocide. It also aims to tackle the differences and similarities of the Holocaust and the Rwanda genocide. Although at the core, both the Rwandan Genocide and the Holocaust are originated in racist ideologies, deep hatred and discrimination; at the surface they present the world in different views. The ways society accepted and aided both circumstances as well as the socio-cultural factors that provoked these atrocities were differentiable. In order to attain the paper’s objective, this paper will first give the definition of genocide, then facts about Rwanda Genocide and holocaust. ...

Using the text, “survival in Auschwitz" by Primo Levi and the text, Auschwitz: True Tales from a Grotesque Land by Sara Nomberg-Przytyk. This are two text are tales of personal experience in the death camp. In the text “survival in Auschwitz by Primo Levi the author narrates his experiences of his ten months’ incarceration in the infamous death camp. The text is harrowing sad story of systematic cruelty and the miraculous endurance of the various forms of torture. The text is lasting testament to the unbreakable human spirit (Levi p 3). The text Auschwitz: True Tales from a Grotesque ...

1. Introduction National interests and sovereignty play very important role in the international relations. The paper will present the arguments for and against that humanitarian intervention as “national interest”, it will examine if it violates the concept of the state sovereignty and which international organization theory supports which arguments. Those arguments will be presented based on the Rwanda case. The research questions for the paper are: should state forfeit sovereignty if they fail to stop engaging in human rights abuses; who has the right to intervene; are organizations that indorse intervention able to carry out the mission; and does ...

Throughout the novel, Max Havelaar, there are different narratives, each describing or talking about the world that they inhabit. The narratives offer a view of what the characters think of each other and the system that they live under. The novel is full of interwoven storylines. Together with the narrative of the Multatuli, Droogstoppel and Stern are the native stories. The narratives and the stories in the novel lead to the conclusion that there are different stories told from the perspective of the actors. James Scott in his work, “Behind the Official Story” describes the presence of the public, ...