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by John, May 25, 2005 12:38 PM
I just finished rereading We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families because after reading Ordinary Men by Christopher Browning I thought that the atrocities committed in Rwanda might make more sense to me. There are eerie similarities between a group of middle-aged Nazi inductees and the masses of machete wielding Hutus who committed atrocities in the name of Hutu Power. In a sense both books are simultaneously hopeful and grim. Both prove Hannah Arendt's notion of the banality of evil or my friend Andrew's favorite saying "everyday is your birthday when you're stupid." Not to be flip, but if you think it can't happen here, visit Cumming, Georgia and tell me how many African Americans you see. Ignorance ain't bliss if you're in the minority.
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