12-21-11 Is Syria a genocide?

In my opinion, the conflict in Syria right now isn't a genocide. Following the definition of genocide, there is no evidence of racial purging. The government isn't targeting a specific group, religion, or social class. They are simply just trying to keep their power. If politics was included for a reason for genocide, then this could be considered genocide.

12-19-2011 Whose to blame? (Humanity)

Even though the massacres that occurred in Rwanda included only a few different groups, humanity as a whole is to blame for the atrocities. The international community failed to react and to assist in the genocide occurring in Rwanda. No one stepped up and said: "This is wrong, and we need to put a stop to this." The Tutsi and the Hutu were the ones who were involved in the genocide, but the rest of the world didn't try to put a stop to it.

12-3-11 Responsibility

"After watching the movie Defiance and then seeing what the US response to the Holocaust was at the time, describe what you think the proper response of one of the individuals that you labeled as "guilty" on your worksheet should have been to what was happening. Next, describe what the proper response of the US to the Holocaust should have been as it was occurring and while we were fighting Nazi Germany during WWII. Finally, describe your views on how the international community should respond to genocide when it happens today (for example, in Syria)."


The proper response to someone who was labeled as guilty was to stand up for what was right. The person who was making the Zyklon B gas could have protested and stopped making the gas. The USA should have had more of an initiative to help out the Jewish population and should have put more of are effort at sabotaging the Nazi campaign, like infiltrating and destroying death camps. Today, people who are in the international community should not only disapprove the genocides, but should try and show any support the can. The many can overcome the few. 

Editor's Choice 12-1-11

Imagine that YOU are the editor of “Defiance,”
creating a film that reflects your own ethics.
How would you choose to portray the scene where the partisans are beating the scout who is spying on their location?

A. The group kills the scout and gets on with their
lives afterwards
B. The group starts to beat him, and then stops
itself before it is too late
C. The group starts to beat the scout, and then
Tuvia stops them
D. The group kills the scout and then can't believe
what it has done
E. The group kills the scout, and when Tuvia walks
by they are angry at him for not stopping them
F. Another alternative

• Why would you portray that scene in the way that
you've chosen? Why did you choose your answer
over the other answers?
• Describe how your choice connects to your own
personal sense of ethics.


In my choice, I would pick: A. The group kills the scout and gets on with their lives afterwards.  I would pick this decision because those who are viewing the video need to know what kind of a situation that they were in. The Jewish community had to do what they had to do in order to survive. My ethics is that in a time when my life and existence is being threatened, then I have to do whatever I can in oreder to survive, no matter what that may be. 

Is all really fair in love and war? 11-30-11

"To expand a little bit on the conversation from yesterday, today we saw that a lot of the tactics used both by the Russian partisans and the Jewish partisans were guerrilla tactics. These include disrupting supply lines, stealing from the enemies, ambushes, etc. What legitimizes, or makes these actions justifiable, if any? Keep in mind that we used many of the same tactics to gain our independence from Great Britain. Should strict rules of war apply, or is all fair in love and war?"

War is the lack of agreement between two countries. If a fight breaks out in a bar, then those involved don’t follow set guidelines on how to fight. You fight until you are overwhelmed or you win. The same is in war. Nothing that you do is unjustified in war, because you must do what you can to win. When the Jewish Partisans starting using guerilla tactics, they were doing whatever they could to make sure that they won the fight, or at least survived through it. We did the same things while fighting for our freedom, and we do across the world today. 

Defiance Post 1: 11-29-11 Is stealing from people justifiable during this time?

Stealing is justifiable during this time, but only under certain circumstances:

1.) That those who you are stealing from won't have any less chance of surviving if you do.

2.) It is preferable if the person has passed away, for they won't miss their things. 

3.) In the case of this movie, if its from the Nazi party. 

Wartime is a moment of great change in a country. Rules and things considered "norm" in society began to bend or even fall apart entirely. People lose sight of what is right and what is wrong, and eventually, all life becomes is survival and instinct, in which you must do what you must in order to survive. It this includes stealing or even killing, than you must do what you have to do in order to survive, nothing else matters after that. On the other hand, killing without reason, like when the Tuvia killed the SS guard for no reason other than revenge then it seems unnecessary, even as bad as the SS. 

Field Trip Relation to one of the steps of genocide. 11-22-11

After going on the field trip to the Air Force museum Holocaust exhibits, I saw that all 8 steps of Genocide occurred in the Holocaust. The main step that had the most impact by far was extermination. Extermination is the first thing people think of when they heard Holocaust. Over 6 million people were killed, by gas chambers, mobile killing squads, and death camps, and furnaces. Extermination is the most prevalent step in the Holocaust. Extermination will always impact those who were effected for the rest of their lives.

Jewish Pre-WW2 photo comparison. 11-21-11

Life for the Jewish people was normal before the Nazis invaded. Many of them had jobs, spending time with friends and families, and enjoying thier life. The market streets of rome were prevelant with Jewish owners. Many of the photos that I saw in my own life were similar to those of other Jewish pictures. The setting may not of always been the same, but the actions as humans were similar. My picture share some similarities to the photo I selected: There are 4 people, all smiling, all enjoying a nice summer day. The differences being age, clothing, and genders.

Rome, Italy

Rome is the capital city of Italy. Rome is a thriving community, with a sizeable Jewish population. As you can see from this picture, Rome was a bustling community for the Jewish people before the war.

 In 1939, Italy joined the Axis, and declared war and Britain and France. The SS only cracked down on the Jewish population in late 1943. Over 12,000 Jews lived in Rome during September of 1943; most of them had been there their whole life. When the SS started to seize Jews, the Italian police didn’t assist in the capturing of Jews, so only about 1,800 were taken, while over 10,000 managed to go into hiding. The Jewish population was very lucky in Rome. Without the assistance of the Italian police, the SS couldn’t round up as many Jewish people. The city was liberated on June 4, 1944, by the US military. The Jewish population sustained very strongly in Rome. 

11-16-11: Views on genocide.

After studying the Armenian genocide, describe how your views on genocide + how it happens have change.

My views on genocide have changed quite drastically. I knew of genocide, and that it was a major problem, but I didn't know that so many had occurred. I was unaware of the Armenian people as a whole, and that they even existed. I didn't know that their were so many steps and planning involved in genocide. It's almost like insanity to a point of lucidity. I was shocked by the amount of people that are affected by genocide.

11-9-11: When does classification and symbolization become genocide?

Classification and symbolization become genocide when they start to affect a persons or groups way of living. If being classified in a certain way or related to a certain symbol affects a lifestyle, then its genocide.

11-14-11: Genocide survivor

Edward Bedikan, was born 1902, in Sespasdia. He looks old, is bald, and white. He has loose tendrils of hair sticking out randomly, and has a cold stale complexion. His eyes are cold and unforgiving, holding on to some hatred.

Edward seems to be harboring a large amount of animosity, whether that be the Turks or to himself for letting the girl get captured. His story shows that he had let down a fellow Armenian, even though they were strangers .


After the genocide, I think that Edward attempted to return to his old life, and while maybe he fell into old routines, he never fully recovered from it. I think that Edward was asking: What happened to the girl I was with? Will I ever see my family again? What has happened to them? 

What causes genocide?

Genocide is caused by the radicalized leader gains control of militaristic power, and uses it against a group or group of people, innocent or not.

Questions:
When was the most recent event of genocide?
What is the definition of genocide?
How do you cover up a genocide?
What is the US's role in genocide?