Hotel Rowanda

I just rented and watched the movie Hotel Rwanda and feel compelled to say something here about it.

I knew very little about what happened before I saw the movie and am somewhat speechless after viewing the genocidal massacre that occurred in 1994. I do not care that it was President Clinton in office as I know there have been similar occurrences under the Republican watch too so this is not a political statement putting down anyone in particular.

I am ashamed that the leaders of my country and the leaders of every one of your countries didn't help these people. I am ashamed that we all turned our backs on helpless men, women and children and allowed many of them to be killed by our inactivity. I am ashamed that we continue to do the same thing in other countries where this has reoccurred.

I am moved deeply by what I saw tonight. Did I know it had happened? Yes but to actually see it portrayed made it somehow more real to me. What I didn't know was that UN troupes were on the ground and did practically nothing. It is sickening. It is tragic. It is real. It will happen again.

May the countries of the world band together and defend the weak and helpless. Maybe there is no oil, there are no riches, there is very little of monetary value to the rest of the world but the lives of the people with whom we share humanity are worth defending… even if it means that some of us will die doing so.

May God bless the helpless and may the rest of us do something about their plight.

Billy, you might want to check out System of a Down's website. They have a lot to say about genocide and raising awareness, both politically and socially.

www.systemofadown.com


Also, a movie along the same lines (while a fictionalization, it still illustrates
poignantly the situation in Africa), check out:


"Tears of the Sun"
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314353/

Ok,
Now that you have watched it and it has moved you, what are you going to do next?
Will you just sit back or will you get involved somehow or somewhere in this world?
Just talkin about it could cause someone to rent this flick but is their anything else you could do to have a greater impact?

I saw this movie (Hotel Rwanda) when it first came out in the theatres, and to be honest I went because I think Don Cheadle is a very talented actor but I was also just as shocked at the lack of response from the world community.

Even now in the Sudan and other areas of Africa, communities are being decimated by Disease or war.
Govt's can only throw so much money at a problem, the key is education.
I think the more people who get involved teaching combined with resources from foreign assistance could have a greater impact but it takes getting people involved.

I'm about to take my 3rd trip to Romania in 11 months and its heartbreaking to see the conditions people live in and it gets downright depressing at times but i know if at least one person is effected in a positive way, then all the heartache counts.

If you really want to do something, step on out. The world needs you.


http://home.pacbell.net/taylor42/Romaniadec.html
http://home.pacbell.net/taylor42/Romania04.html
http://home.pacbell.net/taylor42/decrom.html

That is a wonderful movie, Billy. Darko and I watched it a month ago, and now we own it. Darko and I are political activist for human rights and I myself am also very involved with immigrant rights plus many other injustices going on in our world.

I go to Bucharest all the time and I never see poverty like that. Nor do I really care to; it's whores and cigars night and day in that town. It is a shame that many Roma are discriminated against and live in such poor conditions but they lead lives that are perceived by society at large as atavistic and in many ways chaotic or sociopathic.

if(crisis involves oil)
America.takeAction(immediately);
else
America.ignoreThoseWorthlessHumansInCrisis();



www.one.org

THE SPICE MUST FLOW!

I can tell you that Bucharest has many bad areas of poverty and thats the whole purpose of the trips I take. Sure I've been in the nice areas but thats not what I am there for.
I dont think you can change the mindset of people who were taken care of by communsim
all their lives overnight.

Some got off to a great start with the free market others just faltered.
Its sad that its the children who suffer the most.
And if its not the poverty that gets them then it's their own folks selling them into prostitution.

Its gonna take generations to clean that mess up and the good news is that it is happening.
I look forward to these trips, this next trip we are going to be down in the underground sewers where lots of people live and actually raise children. It will be tough but I always feel better knowing that i've been able to help out at least for a little while.

I also gain an appreciation for where I live and insite as to the things I take for granted.
I usually am depressed for two weeks after I get back but I just have to look at the faces of the kids at Archway, a smile returns and I look forward to my next trip.

Good replies everyone. Knowledge is power.