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Memory is one of the most valued and unique characteristics belonging to humans. So esteemed is this trait that people go to great lengths to preserve it through pictures, videos, journals, or even medication. Nonetheless, history's delicate tapestry has been tarnished with the blood of hundreds of thousands of people from all ethnicities. Rather than learning from the errors of the past, many individuals have reproduced them; sometimes resulting in even greater loses.

The emotional scars of the past continually come back to haunt mankind through similar showings of prejudice and bigotry. The genocide of Cambodia, Rwanda, Paraguay, Uganda, Haiti, Cuba, and even the Holocaust illustrate the deadly consequence of ignorance (Scaruffi, Piero). This trend seems to only be proliferating as technology increases, making the availability of weapons amplified. In some poverty stricken countries small children, no older than twelve, can be seen armed with guns, ready to shoot enemies of their country or those that they have been trained to loathe.

Currently, some schools in the United Kingdom are drastically reducing their teachings on the Holocaust and Crusades in an effort to avoid offending some of the children they are teaching (Clark, Laura). This should not be. Fear and ignorance are part of the fuel that leads to heinous acts of genocide. Aiding in youth's unawareness of these events will only strengthen the already burning flame until it is once again out of control.

Forgetting the past and its often destructive implications, means there will be no memorandum for future generations. People will not merely repeat the past, but perform the same mistakes over and over because they will not be able to learn from history. How can humans learn if there is no evidence of a past in the first place? Only through self examination and education can the roots of hate be plucked before they bear fruit. Learning about the devastating effects of genocides and hatred on their victims, direct and indirect, allows people to have a better understanding of what was experienced, which inevitably leads to compassion not only towards the victims, but towards mankind in general.

Seemingly insignificant actions have produced colossal results and helped fight the war against discrimination. Simply sitting beside those that are ridiculed or taunted can dramatically affect the energy of the entire situation, diffusing the time bomb within the person being harassed and

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