Genocide and Ethnic Cleansing, This Is What Happened and Is Happening To Us

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When we are out in public or even talking to friends, we need to be discussing these 10 Stages and how they impact our lives today.

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All Quotes and Spellings are from the Original Author

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Classification

The differences between people are not respected. There’s a division of ‘us’ and ‘them’ which can be carried out using stereotypes, or excluding people who are perceived to be different.

Groups in a position of power will categorize people according to ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality employing an us versus them mentality.

“All cultures have categories to distinguish people into “us and them” by ethnicity, race, religion, or nationality … The main preventive measure at this early stage is to develop universalistic institutions that transcend ethnic or racial divisions, that actively promote tolerance and understanding, and that promote classifications that transcend the divisions … This search for common ground is vital to early prevention of genocide.”

Classification is the act of grouping someone or something based of traits or features they share. All cultures have categories that distinguish them from others. For example race, gender, religion, nationality, etc.

In the holocaust the Nazis used classification to separate the Jews, Gypsies, the disabled, homosexuals, and many more from the rest of the society. The Nazis believed that the Aryan race was superior and that anyone else needed to be exterminated.

‍Symbolisation

This is a visual manifestation of hatred. Jews in Nazi Europe were forced to wear yellow stars to show that they were ‘different’.

people are identified as Jews, Roma or Tutsis, etc., and made to stand out from others with certain colours or symbolic articles of clothing.

“We give names or other symbols to the classifications … and apply the symbols to members of groups … When combined with hatred, symbols may be forced upon unwilling members of pariah groups … To combat symbolization, hate symbols can be legally forbidden (swastikas) as can hate speech. Group marking … can be outlawed … The problem is that legal limitations will fail if unsupported by popular cultural enforcement …”

Symbols were created next to distinguish the classified people from the rest of the society. Some types of symbols were colors, patches, or even clothes.

In the holocaust the Nazis sewed badges on their clothes or the Jews would wear the star of David, the political prisoners would wear a red triangle, criminals would wear a green triangle, groups against the Nazis would wear black triangles, homosexuals would wear the pink triangles and Jehovah witnesses would wear the purple triangles. These symbols made it easy to separate them from the Aryan race and also separate them from society.

‍Discrimination

‍The dominant group denies civil rights or even citizenship to identified groups. The 1935 Nuremberg Laws stripped Jews of their German citizenship, made it illegal for them to do many jobs or to marry German non-Jews.

A dominant group uses laws, customs, and political power to deny the rights of other groups. The powerless group may not be granted full civil rights or even citizenship.

“A dominant group uses law, custom, and political power to deny the rights of other groups. The powerless group may not be accorded full civil rights or even citizenship …Prevention against discrimination means full political empowerment and citizenship rights for all groups in a society. Discrimination on the basis of nationality, ethnicity, race or religion should be outlawed …”

Once the groups are marked and classified then the discrimination starts. The group in power uses their political power to make laws that take rights away from the classified.

In the Holocaust the Nuremberg Laws of 1935 were created to discriminate against the Jews. It took away their citizenship, their rights of employment, their rights to go to school, and their rights to marry Germans.  

‍Dehumanisation

‍Those perceived as ‘different’ are treated with no form of human rights or personal dignity. During the Genocide in Rwanda, Tutsis were referred to as ‘cockroaches’; the Nazis referred to Jews as ‘vermin’.

The diminished value of the discriminated group is communicated through propaganda. Parallels are drawn with animals, insects or diseases.

“One group denies the humanity of the other group. Members of it are equated with animals, vermin, insects or diseases. Dehumanization overcomes the normal human revulsion against murder. At this stage, hate propaganda in print and on hate radios is used to vilify the victim group … Local and international leaders should condemn the use of hate speech and make it culturally unacceptable …Hate radio stations should be shut down, and hate propaganda banned. Hate crimes and atrocities should be promptly punished.”

After the classified groups are separated and discriminated they are dehumanized. Dehumanization happens when humans are treated like they are not worth anything.

The Nazis treated the Jews like animals. This was done by propaganda. The Nazis made posters, music, films, anything to desensitize the German citizens into thinking that what they were doing was okay. Propaganda allowed the Nazis to carry on their genocide without any objections from the German citizens.

‍Organisation‍

Genocides are always planned. Regimes of hatred often train those who go on to carry out the destruction of a people.

A state, its army or militia design genocidal killing plans.

Genocide is always organized, usually by the state, often using militias to provide deniability of state responsibility … Sometimes organization is informal … or decentralized … Special army units or militias are often trained and armed. Plans are made for genocidal killings. To combat this stage, membership in these militias should be outlawed.”

After the classified are dehumanized the next stage is organization. Genocide is always organized, usually by the state. Militias are often used to help the state deny any responsibility for the genocide.

The Nazis created both the Gestapo and the SS. The Gestapo were the secret police that got rid of Nazi opposition and the SS controlled the concentration camps.

‍Polarisation‍

Propaganda begins to be spread by hate groups. The Nazis used the newspaper Der Stürmer to spread and incite messages of hate about Jewish people.

Propaganda is employed to amplify the differences between groups. Interactions between groups are prohibited, and the moderate members of the group in power are killed.

“Extremists drive the groups apart. Hate groups broadcast polarizing propaganda … Extremist terrorism targets moderates, intimidating and silencing the center … Prevention may mean security protection for moderate leaders or assistance to human rights groups.”

Extremists drive the groups apart. Hate groups broadcast propaganda that reinforces prejudice and hate. Laws may forbid intermarriage or social interaction between the groups.

The Nazis physically polarized the Jews on November 9th and 10th 1938, that night is known as Kristallnacht or "Night of the Broken Glass". This was when the Nazi soldiers attacked and forcefully removed the Jewish people from their homes. They briefly put them in ghettos and then were later moved to concentration camps.

‍Preparation

‍Perpetrators plan the genocide. They often use euphemisms such as the Nazis' phrase 'The Final Solution' to cloak their intentions. They create fear of the victim group, building up armies and weapons.

The victims are identified, separated and forced to wear symbols. Deportations, isolation and forcible starvation. Death lists are drawn up.

“National or perpetrator group leaders plan the “Final Solution”… They often use euphemisms to cloak their intentions, such as referring to their goals as “ethnic cleansing,” “purification,” or “counter-terrorism.” They build armies, buy weapons and train their troops and militias. They indoctrinate the populace with fear of the victim group.  Leaders often claim that “if we don’t kill them, they will kill us.”

The leaders plan the “Final Solution” to the targeted group. They often use euphemisms to hide their intentions, such as referring to their goals as ethnic cleansing, or purification. They build armies, buy weapons and train their troops and militias.

Several anti-Jewish laws were established and Jews started to suffer. Nazis made ghettos where multiple families were put in and forced to live together. These ghettos were not luxurious. It was crowded with poor living conditions. Hitler also made sure that his army was very well trained and equipped.

‍Persecution‍

Victims are identified because of their ethnicity or religion and death lists are drawn up. People are sometimes segregated into ghettos, deported or starved and property is often expropriated. Genocidal massacres begin.

Victims are identified and isolated based on their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. In state sponsored genocides, members of victim groups may be forced to wear identifying symbols. Their property is often expropriated.

“Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. In state-sponsored genocide, members of victim groups may be forced to wear identifying symbols. Their property is often expropriated. Sometimes they are even segregated into ghettos, deported into concentration camps, or confined to a famine-struck region and starved.  Genocidal massacres begin.”

Victims are identified and separated out because of their ethnic or religious identity. Death lists are drawn up. In state sponsored genocide,members of victim groups may be forced to wear identifying symbols. Their property is often confiscated. Sometimes they are even segregated into ghettos,deported into concentration camps, or confined to a famine-struck region and starved. Genocidal massacres begin. They are acts of genocide because they intentionally destroy part of a group.

After being placed in ghettos, Jews were then placed in concentration camps. In these concentration camps, Jews were separated from their families and forced into labor for economic profit. Prisoners didn't receive enough of the essentials: food, clothing, etc. Examples of these camps are Auschwitz, Gusen, Stutthof and Majdanek.

‍Extermination‍

The hate group murders their identified victims in a deliberate and systematic campaign of violence. Millions of lives have been destroyed or changed beyond recognition through genocide.

The massacres begin. The perpetrators see their actions as “extermination” since they do not consider their victims to be entirely human.

Extermination begins, and quickly becomes the mass killing legally called “genocide.” It is “extermination” to the killers because they do not believe their victims to be fully human. When it is sponsored by the state, the armed forces often work with militias to do the killing. Sometimes the genocide results in revenge killings by groups against each other, creating the downward whirlpool-like cycle of bilateral genocide …”

Extermination begins, and quickly becomes the mass killing legally called "genocide." It is "extermination" to the killers because they do not believe their victims to be fully human.

Extermination camps were formed where Nazis contributed to the mass killing of Jews and other prisoners. In the camp called Chelmno, a majority of the prisoners were killed by gas vans. Prisoners were put on a van where the "exhaust pipe was actually connected to its interior". Approximately 300,000 Jews died and only 3 Jews in total survived the camp. Extermination camps then had gas chambers where no selections were performed and everyone was sent to the gas chambers. The chambers released carbon monoxide which quickly killed the prisoners. Jewish laborers removed the corps and placed them into large pits where the corps would later be burned. An estimated 10 million people died due to the holocaust and those who survived are considered lucky.

‍Denial

‍The perpetrators or later generations deny the existence of any crime.

The perpetrators of the genocide deny having committed their crimes. Victims are often blamed. Evidence is hidden and witnesses are intimidated.

“is the final stage that lasts throughout and always follows a genocide. It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres. The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims. They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern until driven from power by force, when they flee into exile. There they remain with impunity, like Pol Pot or Idi Amin, unless they are captured and a tribunal is established to try them.”

The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to coverup the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims. They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern until driven from power by force, when they flee into exile. Leaders of the genocide continue to deny the crime unless they are captured.

The first thing the Nazis did was used "regulated euphemisms in many of their documents" to try to hide evidence of the Holocaust ever happening. Another example of the Nazis trying to hide evidence of the holocaust was when operation Aktion 1005 began on June 1942. They tried to "destroy the physical evidence of murder". They started to burn the body of victims instead of burying them in fear that they would lose the war. Many Nazis deny that they have committed any crimes and blame everything on the prisoners and the prisoners become scapegoats. Some Nazis even fled to different countries or committed suicide to avoid severe punishment.

When reading the War Department Records, Colonial State Records, Congressional Records, and Militia Records it is impossible to read them and not come back to this list of 10 Stages of Genocide. What is unmistakable is that this is still going on and is propogated today by the Congress and Senate, The Bureau of Inidan Affairs, and Native American Tribes who have allied with the United States Government.

We will not be silent. We will not let others define our existence. We are Chicmamauga (Tiscamogie) Warriors, the most feared of the Southeast Woodland Tribes. We Will STAND!