Reflection on Rwanda

Over the next 100 days starting from April 6 1994, the world experienced the fastest rate of killings in the twentieth century. On the first day the genocide began, there was an estimate of 8,000 as the death toll. From that day, the U.S. decides to evacuate all the U.S. citizens, followed by the European countries. I felt ashamed when I realized that those countries were scooping only their people out of danger. They were not making any attempts in trying to stop the killings. On the 28th, there is an estimated death toll of 168,000 and the press asks State Department spokeswoman Christine Shelly if she thinks that genocide is occurring. She avoids using the word 'genocide' by saying "…we have to undertake a very careful study before we can make a final kind of determination…." I was shocked when I read this. The media was trying to go around the word 'genocide' because it caused a concern. If they used it, the U.S. would have to intervene with the killings in Rwanda. Not only the United States, but the whole world was trying to turn back on Rwanda and pretend that the genocide was just another African war.
Although journalists were reporting of what was occurring in Rwanda, there might have been a bigger impact on the world if General Dallaire could have expressed his viewpoints in media. In the interview with Mark Doyle, he says if people such as the General or other politicians and soldiers who were directly involved had stood up and had been reported, it could have made a difference. However, I feel that it might not have been entirely true. In the movie there was a part where the General said to the main character Paul, that all the other countries had abandoned him and Rwanda because he was black. Mark Doyle also expressed that the reason why the outside world had not intervened with the genocide was because it was about Africans. I feel ashamed that one of the reasons that world had been ignorant was because the genocide had been concerning Africans.
After watching part of the movie, reading interviews and looking at timelines, I realized how media is used not only creates different opinions but can lead to horrifying consequences. It helped me think about the media we are encountering everyday in our lives and be aware of my surroundings.