Machete Season: A Report By Jean Herzfeld

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The book Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak: A Report by Jean Herzfeld presented several statements from an interviewed conducted with the nine Hutu killers who contributed to killing over 50,000 Tutsis communities with machetes. Throughout the book, these nine killers narrated their experience/opinion on several topics asked how the Rwanda genocide began to how they participated in the genocide. For those who do not have prior knowledge of the history regarding the Tutsis and Hutus, one may wonder why would Hutus participate in violent acts against the Tutsis. In addition, question how could these people continuously harm this same group of people, especially when the victims are people they know or seen before. Based on the different …show more content…

Élie, who is one out the nine killers reflect on his experience about victims suffering during that time period. He states, "Making someone suffer was up to each person, as long as he did his job. The Intimidators gave no particular order to encourage or discourage it. They repeated, ‘Just kill, that is the main thing. ' We didn 't care" (131). This statement demonstrates how the importance of carrying out orders being valued over moral values dictates the judgment for wrongdoings. Élie addressing how making someone suffer did not matter much as long as "he did his job" highlights those in power reconstructing moral values. Moral values represent an individual 's standard that contributes to that person 's behavior and choices. Taking that definition into consideration, allowing perpetrators to think it is acceptable to harm someone as long as directions are followed could possibly reshape that person 's moral values. Before, physically harming someone may have been understood as morally wrong. However, observing that nobody "encourage[s] or discourage[s] it" and the assigned job is complete may shift that actions like this can be considered moral. Overall, a person witnessing actions not being held accountable and physical harm being deems as acceptable can have an effect on someone feeling encouraged/motivated to engage in mass murder when the opportunity is

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