Hate Radio Influenced Genocide in Rwanda: Words Have Consequences

[Lucky Luciano]

I was trying to find a certain clip on Youtube from the great movie Hotel Rwanda where the people are listening to an evil hate radio Hutu speaking about how they need to kill the "Tutsi Cockroaches!". The hate and vitriol from the radio broadcasts were unreal and inhuman.

I also remember the movie quotes and the acting here. The hate and pride n the killing was so apparent on the actor's face. Very startling.

Paul: You cannot seriously think that you can kill them all.
George: And why not? We are halfway there already.



http://www.teenink.com/hot_topics/pride_prejudice/article/78300/Words-Have-Consequences/

One of the biggest influences that incited the Hutus to attack their neighbors was radio broadcasts. It is important to understand that radios are omnipresent in Rwanda, like cell phones in America. The radio station Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines, or RTLM, had a huge influence over the people. The station became so popular that the Hutus constantly listened. RTLM referred to Tutsis as “cockroaches” and gave commands that Rusesabagina recalls “were phrased in code language that everyone understood, ‘Cut the tall trees . Clean your neighborhood. Do your duty.” Rusesabagina also remembers hearing the phrase, “A cockroach cannot give birth to a butterfly.” These words degraded the Tutsis and lit a fire in many Hutus – a fire of hate and destruction. After a while, the Hutus felt so much hatred for Tutsis, in large part because of the radio broadcasts, that they snapped, and the genocide began on April 6, 1994.

Words can lead to anger and revenge, and can incite people to destroy families, lives, an entire nation. Words spoken on the radio, or in the newspaper, or in the square, can inspire hatred and violence. Before you make a rude or insulting comment about someone who is different from you – be it race, religion, ethnicity, or ability – remember that words are powerful.

[Occulus]

1. It's best to remember that that hate speech on Rwanda's radio and television networks

was the proximate cause of the massacres that followed.

It's better to remember that that can happen here, too.

Thanks for the post. I think we all should be keeping what happened there in mind.

[my2sense]

2. K & R

[upi402]

3. Thank you so much!

That's what I'm talking about when I get frustrated with our side telling our side to tone it down.

Not at all the same on our side and I wont be quiet and just take it.

[sabrina 1]

4. I always think of Rwanda when this issue comes up.

If the UN had allowed the bombing of the radio station, it's very likely that many lives would have been saved. Hate radio played a huge roll in the genocide in Rwanda.

Hotel Rwanda is an excellent, but extremely disturbing film. Still, it should be seen by everyone in this country as a cautionary tale.

[Lucky Luciano]

5. This came to my mind immediately.

I don't mean to compare our situation to the hell of Rwanda, but there are similarities even if the scale of devastation is much less. There have been many right wing terrorist attacks in the country in the last few years and Hate Radio had everything to do with it.

[sabrina 1]

12. I'm glad you posted it. The role of hateful vitriol over the airwaves

in murder on a small and in the case of Rwanda, very large scale, should not be over-looked. In a way you could say the radio was used as a weapon and it makes me wonder if we go too far here trying to protect the 1st Amendment when I am certain it was never intended to be so abused. At Nuremberg they prosecuted the propagandists. Another instance where the radio played a huge role in a major genocide. Maybe we need to think more about these things before claiming that such use of our airwaves or public squares has anything to do with freedom of speech as the Founding Fathers intended.

[JNelson6563]

11. I do too.

I often think of that horrible situation and believe the hate mongers on our airwaves would like to achieve the same thing.

Julie

[sabrina 1]

13. You do have to wonder. They can't not know the possible results

of such vitriol when it is heard by disturbed people so repetitively.

[Brickbat]

6. I have not seen that movie, but I remember about 10 years ago when NPR played a clip of an RTLM

radio broadcast. I didn't understand what they were saying, of course, but the easygoing, conversational tone was much more chilling than any screamy speech I'd ever heard from Hitler. I found it very sad.

[Lucky Luciano]

8. Ya gotta see the movie - it is really great, but of course very chilling as well. nt

[Supersedeas]

7. Want to talk about equivalence--consider the radio personalities that are similar to Hassan Ngeze

[slipslidingaway]

9. yes they do - knr n/t

[RainDog]

10. I posted this a day or so ago

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=439x176038