OCR Text |
Show A HISTORY OF SILENCE Megan E. Hillyard, (Anne Jamison) Department of English "We must forge an unshakable oath with all civilized people that never again will the world stand silent, never again will the world fail to act in time to prevent this terrible crime of genocide" - President Jimmy Carter on the Holocaust President Jimmy Carter uttered these infamous words in 1979 as a confirmation of America's dedication to preventing another Holocaust. American schools have since been dedicated to educating youth about the Holocaust in hopes of preventing future genocides. Ironically, as Americans are busy remembering and vowing to prevent another Holocaust, genocide has occurred and gone virtually unnoticed in every decade since World War II. Why does America make valiant promises to uphold the peace when blatant efforts are continuously made to ignore international terror? Through a recollection of my personal travels to Cambodia and the discovery of a genocide I knew nothing about, I began to question the authenticity of the values our country was founded upon. I learned that leaders have literally ignored and turned their heads and resources away from victims in need. My experience, in accordance and contrast to various texts and literature, exposes a disconnect between American ideology and political action. {107} |