The Big Discussion

When I walked in the room there was a certain excitment in the air. Honestly, I wasn't pumped for it at all, considering I'm quiet in class, but I tried my best to focus on making opinions. I didn't get a chance to participate with my group, due to me missing the class the day before, so I was somewhat of a "bystander" and it was refreshing to hear everyone's opinons and knowledge compared to having to commit and stick with one side.

I made my own opinons, and decisions. The debate was extremely heated; fire starting from each side of the room. The back to back arguments had me on the edge of my seat and my mind was racing. It was also somewhat intimidating; and I didn't even have to state an opinon aloud. When all of our desks were in a big circle, you were deprived of freedom from the glares of angry and opinated roleplayers. I was happy to be a listener and watch the fun.

My opinion on the Rwandan Genocide is very mixed. I can't really decide "who to blame" par se, but I do have a good idea of who had the most to do with it. Belgium came to dictate the country, yet claim to know nothing about Rwanda or the people who live there. What I don't understand about that is how you could come to a completely different place with intentions of ownership in some way, and not have any knowledge of what was happening there. It's impossible to say that any place is perfect. Everywhere and everyone has their differences and opposing groups. The Hutus and Tootsies hated eachother, yet Belgium did nothing to stop them or prevent them from violence and look at the consequence.

I also put a great deal of blame on Juvenal Habyarimana, who was the cause of several other groups to kill and take part in this horrible tradgedy. For example, the Interhamwe was under control of them and they did a great deal of wrongs. Juvenal was also in charge of the MRND, which included Hutu extremists that killed no matter what. The former president is most of the blame for the brutal genocide.

It seems that the division was simply between the terms, wealthy and poor. When other countries and agencies got involved to "keep and bring peace" it, in most cases, only made matters worse or didn't affect it at all. Either way, it wasn't beneficial. France is being accused in participating in the brutal killings which, of course, they're denying--who wouldn't? The U.S. didn't even consider it a genocide at all, and half of the places involved, who may or may not have helped, are being suspected to have done things they haven't.

Over all the genocide shouldn't of happened. But it did. And it WAS a genocide. I suppose what's in the past is in the past, but it shouldn't ever been in the future again.