Nicholas Lenz Genocide Symposium

Nicholas Lenz!12/6/13!Dr. R.T. Good !Symposium Paper !!! !

! Going into this common event I really wasn't sure how I was going to feel

about it. The last few common events I attended really didn't speak to me in the

way I wanted or wished they would have, this one was different. I attended a

private Catholic high school in which I was required to take religion classes. While

in a specific class with a very outspoken, loud, and very VERY wise religion

teacher we watched the movie Hotel Rwanda a truly inspiring story about the

Rwandan Revolution between the Tutsi and Hutu people to which Mr. Deange

spoke. While I sat in that classroom as a senior waiting to get out for summer and

to move onto bigger and better things the movie was just that to me, a movie with

actors and cameras and lights and great effects. Listening to Mr. Deange speak of

the truths of this revolution I had a revelation, these genecidal acts happened to

real people. Mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, and friends were killed because of

a prejudice that lasted hundreds of years. It got me to thinking as Mr. Deange said

it, can something as simple as bullying or calling someone a name start a

Nicholas Lenz Genocide Symposium

snowball effect that ends in genecidal thoughts or acts? It seems quite blown out

of proportion but think about it, one mean word said about a certain group of

people is engrained in a childs mind making them think differently of that group

also known as prejudice. This symposium opened my eyes to the world outside

of my nice, contained, safe bubble I try to constantly live within. !

! !