When Is It Genocide?

That is the question. Where does killing stop and genocide begin? Who defines what is genocide? The simple definition is, the systematic killing of a people. That is the simple one. But who decides when it is genocide or just killings?

Six million deaths of a people in WWII has been called genocide. What about the approximately 15 million Russian deaths? Was that a genocide? The 1.5 million deaths in Cambodia has been labeled a genocide. OK, how many deaths must there be for it to be labeled as a genocide? Darfur has been called a genocide by the US, but most other countries do not call it as such. So is it genocide?

I bring this up because of the recent vote in the Congress that has labeled the deaths of Armenians in 1915 as genocide. The country of Turkey has condemned the vote and now has warned of dire consequences if the vote was in favor of calling it a genocide. The vote has been taken and it is genocide in the eyes of the Congress. Now the consequences will be whatever happens.

The deaths of many people is not something that is a good thing, but to call something genocide should be a decision by the UN or a world body similar. I do not think that one country declaring it as a genocide is necessarily the final word. For most times these things are done as a special favor to a huge campaign contributor.

I am not saying that the deaths of the Armenian people was anything but a tragedy, but who is the US to declare it so over the rest of the world?

I ask again, when is it genocide? And who is the one to label it as such? When is it official? Does the deaths of American Natives count as genocide? Congressional person, Boehner, you gotta love a guy named Boner, you remember him he is the one that cries at the drop of a hat. Anyway, he has said that the vote was a waste of time and that the decision should be left to historians. Who is paying him?

This subject is something that we can debate until the cows come home and never find a spot where we can agree. Genocide is a horrible technique used on a people and it should be condemned and reported. The problem is there is NO good definition for the act. Until there is, any discussion is just purely an argument.

Enough said? you bet!

CHUQ