By Gashi 

Let’s take a look at genocide, which has occurred so many times in this world in which we live, and which has impacted so many families living in Maine. 

If the people of the world are peaceful, loving, and trusting, surely justice will prevail. 

Everyone has heard of Adolf Hitler, who caused more than 6 million Jews (as well as others) to be brutally murdered in Europe between 1941 and 1945. And many people know about the genocide in Cambodia that lasted four years between 1975 and 1979, and ended in the murder of between 1.5 million and 3 million innocent people. 

I want to also mention the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in 1994, which was relatively recent. Over a period of 100 days, close to one million people were murdered. Many people were left orphaned, and many families still do not trust each other the way they used to before the genocide.  

I believe there are lasting effects from these genocides you can see with your eyes, and some you cannot see with your eyes. Some of the murderers in Rwanda have been sentenced to prison terms, but even though more than 20 years have passed since the genocide, I personally do not believe that all people impacted by the genocide are doing well psychologically. 

And then of course there is the Great Lakes region of Africa, which includes DR Congo, Burundi, Uganda, Tanzania, and Kenya, which have all known mass murder, some – like DR Congo – based on ethnicity and on a huge genocidal scale. 

Who is to blame but the leaders, who instilled hatred in people who lived together for centuries? For example, in the case of Rwanda, the customs and traditions of the Hutus and Tutsis are the same for all. And if you took the DNA of all Rwandans, Hutu and Tutsi would be indistinguishable, because for so many years both tribes lived together peaceably.  

I stand against hatred, oppression, and even aggression, which can lead to genocide quickly. If the world is not careful, we will see the killing of more people.The world must stand together against mass murder and genocide everywhere. 

If the people of the world are peaceful, loving, and trusting, surely justice will prevail.