Creation of The Butterflies

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"We cannot allow our children to grow up in this corrupt and tyrannical regime, we have to fight against it, and I am willing to give up everything, including my life if necessary." (Patria Mercedes Mirabal)

Discuss this quote in relation to the situation that the Mirabal sisters and their families found themselves in their fight for survival against the Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo’s horrendous regime. You need to refer to the events and situations that lead the sister’s to create the counter revolutionary group The Butterflies.

Throughout centuries man has witnessed some of this worlds greatest tragedies; the destruction caused by the bubonic plague, the bombing of Pearl Harbour and the Rwandan Genocide. However, none of these can compare to the devastation caused by world dictators. The lives taken at the hands of these tyrannical rulers is unbelievably distressing, and ex-Dominican president, Rafael Trujillo is no exception. Throughout his thirty year reign over the Dominican Republic he is thought to be responsible for the lives of over 50,000 innocent people, none of these devastating losses, however, compare to the tragedy of the Mirabal sisters; three honourable women who did nothing but have a voice. The level of political misconduct and unjustified action was unbelievable and lead the sisters to drastic measures, Patria saying "We cannot allow our children to grow up in this corrupt and tyrannical regime, we have to fight against it, and I am willing to give up everything, including my life if necessary.". In their efforts to try and overthrow the totalitarian they found themselves trapped in a situation where the lives of them and their families were constantly at risk, and in the end it was through their tragical ...

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...one is why. Why for so long did so many Haitians and Dominicans put up with abuse, and why did over 50,000 people have to die so that one man could have what he wants. The inhumanity in that selfishness is disgusting and should never be allowed to happen again.

References:

Works Cited

Wikipedia, Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rafael_Trujillo#Early_life(Accessed: November 2013).
Wikipedia, Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_Time_of_the_Butterflies(Accessed: November 2013).

Grade Saver, Available at: http://www.gradesaver.com/in-the-time-of-the-butterflies/study-guide/section6/ (Accessed: November 2013).

The Real Dominican Republic, Available at: http://www.therealdr.com/dominican-republic-history/mirabal-sisters-of-the-dominican-republic.html#.UpUz6WOcUik(Accessed: November 2013).

Julia Alvarez (1994) In The Time of The Butterflies

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