Author's Statement

"Devolution to Genocide: A Recurring Nightmare," uses the stages of behavior applicable to the escalation of prejudice described by George Allport to further reinforce the conclusion that it reaches. Specifically, it highlights the second to last and last stages of behavior, violence against people and property of the groups, and extermination or genocide of the people or groups, and describes how the arrival to similar situations can be quicker than one may assume. Kristallnacht, or the Night of Broken Glass, and the Rwandan Genocide, are the two examples used, with both being massacres with proven preliminary warning signs. Throughout the piece, the intention to amplify awareness of microaggressions is expressed, as what may seem to be casual negative remarks can eventually lead to horrendous acts of misplaced violence.