Very rarely would I feel inclined to comment online regarding movies I watch, but every once in a while I see a film with such enormous impact I simply have to say something. My wife rented Hotel Rwanda, based on the true story of Paul Rusesabagina, a Hutu hotel manager in Kigali who saved more than a thousand people at a time when a million of his Tutsi countrymen were massacred by Hutu militias. I'll say nothing more of the plot, except to mention the utter disregard shown to Rwanda by the United Nations in general, and certain western powers in particular: the United States, Great Britain, France, and Belgium. Scenes of genocide left me speechless, and western indifference further outraged me beyond words. I was sickened to know these atrocities occured during my adult life (1994), and yet we know know so little about it in the west; and then to think similar acts of violence are happening in Sudan at this very moment; it was almost too much to bear. This film moved me like no other; I wept like a baby.
Later that evening, I sweat with my uncle Pat and used my prayer in behalf of all those who suffer discrimination and hatred because of race, ethnicity, nationality, tribe, religion, sex, social class, or sexual orientation. In spite of my heartfelt prayer, I felt powerless, like I had not done enough to stop violence in the world.
Perhaps one small contribution I can make to my readers (all 3 of them) is to urge them to become educated regarding human rights issues around the world. A good place to start is:
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