"Genocide" is a word that should be used sparingly. Just like homicide is used to describe killing a person, genocide means killing a people. Persecution of minorities, though horrific does not always rise to the level of genocide.

In the struggle between democracy and dictatorship, it is crucial that democracies tell the truth in plain language. Dictatorships will always lie and obfuscate to conceal their true nature. Democracies can tell it like it is. Bear this in mind when deciding whether to call something a genocide.