Non Fiction Write

EQ of choosing : What allows some individuals to take a stand against prejudice/oppression while others choose to participate in it?
Article read: The Rwandan Girl Who Refused To Die

As we grow up, our authority figures always tell us not just to be a bystander, but be a leader instead and make a difference. The same principle applies the other way around. The genocide in Rwanda is a perfect example of such a teaching. The Hutu tribe saw a threat to their culture against the Tutsi tribe therefore they took things into their own hands and started to eliminate the Tutsi to assure their survival in Rwanda. Those that refused to kill or take part of the killing were eliminated, therefore for those that did not believe in the cause, they found difficulty in refusing such an order. The Hutus can be compared and likened to many groups and gangs in history, some identical to them, some with rarely any similarities, but the factor of challenging a majority is within every single one.
Fergal Keane was the journalist who chose to write about this Rwandan girl, Valentina, who refused to let go of her life. In this article, it not only talks about Valentina's own experiences, but also that of one of the killers that murdered the rest of her family. Denis Bagaruka, one of the gang of men that were responsible for the killing at the local church, spoke of his experience to Keane. He explained how although he was taken care of by a Tutsi man, he still took part of the killing at the church. Keane was very forward with his questions, so Bagaruka was forward with his answers. He not only recounted an experience of of him witnessing his Tutsi guardian being blown up by a grenade, but he also explained why he partook of the massacre. According the the 56 year old grandfather, he took apart of the killing to save himself from the firing squad. He could not take apart of the injustice and oppression that the officiating Hutus applied to the citizens, therefore he could only give in and do what he needed to keep him and his family safe.
Valentina, a 13 year old girl was the one to take a stand. Having witnessed the killing of her parents, her neighbours and many more, Valentina proved that she was destined to live rather than give up on life. Although her stand was not as obvious as the children who refused to submit to the Hutus, she took a stand against death. Even with a deep wound on her head and many fingers chopped off, she fought to live. Everyone that saw her expected her to die, even by just looking at her situation. Both her parents and her siblings were killed and she was stuck inside a church with dozens of decomposing bodies and there was little food or water. On top of that, she had no medical attention. She could have easily lost the will to live and given up her chance on life, but she refused. Medical help came, and the rest was history. Keane saw her three years later and saw a healthy 16 year old teenager...