Tuesday, January 31, 2006

More Hotel Rwanda

The genocide that happened 10 years ago (how scary is that?) is a sad reminder of how useless politicians can be.

After I learned about the Holocaust when I was young, I remember asking my father why no one just sent together a bunch of troops and stopped the whole thing. I don't remember what answer he gave me but it didn't satisfy me. I just couldn't understand.

Then, years later, when I watched Schindler's List, I remember thinking to myself, "What they say about history is right. We study the past so as not to repeat the same mistakes we've made."

The genocide (and this movie) reminds us that that's all a bunch of bullshit.

It's all about circumstance and opportunity.

Post-Somalia? You're screwed.

No oil? We don't care.

That something so horrible and massive as genocide was allowed to occur, even when the world knew it was happening, is just plain unacceptable.

It's frightening because it means that, no matter how bad things are and how horrible things seem, we can no longer rely on the old axiom of hope: "Someone will come. Someone will help me."

1 Comments:

Blogger Great Emergence said...

But we can rely on people like yourself to keep trying. It is better to speak about the reality that continues....no matter how horrific than to shut up and go with the masses asleep and ignoring it year, after year, after year. But I for one am embarrassed too by not only my governments but my generations inactivity in Rwanda, Kenya and others. Keep speaking up about it and give what you can!

www.greatemergence.blogspot.com

6:28 PM  

Post a Comment

<< Home