Is it already Thursday?

It is late, and I cannot sleep.

DH an I watched Hotel Rwanda tonight after getting the kids to bed.

It was horrible to watch, especially since it was an ignored genocide. I was on the verge of tears through the entire movie. I recall Rwanda very vividly, I do remember that 800,000 people were slaughtered in less than 100 days. The movie, was well done considering how sanitized the death of almost million people looked on screen. Especially murders which neighbors, children, coworkers were slaughtered in the street, in churches by means of anything that could be used as a tool of destruction. There were not many guns in Rwanda, if I recall. Most people were killed with machetes.

I hated that this story had to be told at all. But I did like the fact that Nick Nolte portrayed the slimy U.N. representative at the hotel, making one poor decision after another. It also showed the press escaping first chance out. (Which I might add, here I would have too.)

There were several times throughout this movie, I tried to put myself into the Tutsis shoes. What would I do with my family? I cannot imagine living in that kind of fear, or having my children live in that sort of fear. When a child sees a neighbor kill a neighbor, or a neighbors child. What that must do to ones soul.....

I realized I am a coward.

However, it led me to recall a Q&A session with Peter Arnett at the University of Nebraska back in 1997? I was able to ask Peter Arnett, if he thought any of the apathy re: Rwanda was the presses responsibility. He disliked the question very much. I cannot recall his entire answer, he did take responsibility off of the Clinton Administration, and he defended the press tooth and nail.

And Africa is still a mess, and I am wondering how long it will be before the United States sends even MORE troops to Africa. Because yes, we do have troops there.

and it frightens me terribly....because if 800,000 people can be slaughtered in less than 100 days. Why was that obvious energy used to feed, or help its own people?

The news in Africa is no better. I try and keep up with the news in Africa, but frankly there is so much horror that comes out of that country I cannot keep up.