J. Rogers- District 9

When discussing genocide as a practice, it is impossible to ignore the factors which lead up to it. These are the motives and reasons for a determined extermination of a group of people, or their culture. Often times genocides occur along racial boundaries, a construct that stirs most every society.

Racial theories such as phrenology and eugenics, for instance, construct non-white races as being inferior to their white counterparts. This is evident in South Africa, where the apartheid regime sought to have blacks and whites develop separately. We can see in the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling in Brown v. Board of Education that separateness is inherently unequal, and no one can make the argument that the tribal lands that were set up for blacks to live in South Africa were set up for blacks to develop equally with whites, as we can see from the article on the apartheid timeline.

In District 9, the allegory of apartheid is apparent. The aliens, or prawns, as they are derogatorily called, represent black Africans. Their differences are quite pronounced, unlike those of whites and blacks, whose only physical difference is skin color. Much like humans, the aliens seek nothing more than to live a happy life, and provide for their families who they love. We see that with Christopher, once Wikus takes the time to get to know him.

Often times these racial divides are used for economic or political gain. Disenfranchising and economically marginalizing groups allows for another group to make gains they otherwise would be unable to make. The marginalized group often has little choice but to become a tool of their ruling class by becoming underpaid and disrespected service workers. The political aspect of genocide can clearly be seen in Hotel Rwanda, where the Hutus seek retribution for the Tutsis higher standard of living in the formerly Belgian Rwanda. Instead of looking beyond the ills of the past, they are overcome by their anger and seek to rid their nation of the Tutsis.

A similar occurrence can be seen in the Jewish Holocaust. Public opinion of Jews in Europe was very negative even before the extermination began. Many Jews were still economically successful even in post-WWI Germany, and so their differentness was highlighted by many who sought to remove them from society. Since they had physical, religious, and cultural differences from the German majority, they were chosen as a target of anger. In The Pianist, the scenes in the Jewish ghettoes show this clearly. The article on music and trauma in The Pianist that was found in Week 4's course material also displays the economic motivations for the removal of Jews from Germany.

The racial, economic, and political causes and results of genocides and those actions leading up to extermination have been evident throughout the course. The fact that such violent and brutal tactics take place throughout the world and throughout history shows a distinct pattern of marginalization and disrespect for the victims of genocide, over a period of time. It is the responsibility of all world citizens to understand these preceding factors, so that genocides can be stopped before they happen. If not, we will only be able to curtail the genocides that have already begun, and at that point, it will surely be too late for the victims and their families who they love so dearly.