Dear FRONTLINE,
The thought, "We are cowards." kept coming to my mind during the entire 2 hours of Frontline. "Political, moral and physical cowards.". This is how I feel about the United States and the rest of the "World Community".
I really don't feel our response as a country would be any different today. Rather, the question would be, "Would it help a leader during his/her re-election campaign. I'm not trying to place blame on anyone, but how could our political leaders simply say, "We didn't know.".
We are more than willing (even enthusiathic) about invading Iraq, yet we will let Rwanda pass by with a small mention on the nightly news.
James Robinson
Henderson, Nevada
Dear FRONTLINE,
after viewing this documentary, there should be no more questions as to "why" we are in Iraq.
Pat Hoops
Dear FRONTLINE,
While it is true and wise that the US cannot be the world's police force. That responsibility should befall upon the UN. However as we have seen, the UN is impotent and failed miserably in this case. It embroils itself in too much bureaucracy to be effective. The madness in Rwanda lasted 100 days. Yet, the UN could not respond given that time.
It needs a serious restructuring. I find it ironic and hypocritical that the UN is now trying to try the leadership who incited its people to kill their neighbors. The majority of the killers were poor and misguided peasants who had nothing more than machetes. A few thousand UN troops with guns could have halted the killings.
Jason Long
San Francisco, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
In a society where so many decisions are dictated by public opinion; we are all accountable in some way for the inactivities of our government. I have a voice, YOU have a voice: speak out or neither of us deserves the right to point a finger.
Gary Caine
Fresno, California
Dear FRONTLINE,
It is still happening and will happen again and again until we as a world coomunity accept some painful and strange truths:
The noble Gen. Dallaire rightly stated in his interview, "I do not believe that the developed world actually considers Africans, particularly South Saharan Africans, as being total humans..." Couple of examples-- Sudan, the AIDS-torn southern Africa. The world is still looking away.
Would it ever happen again? We must answer that question on different levels-personal,community, governmental, and then globally. Phillip Gaillard answered it first for himself before he could answer it for the RED CROSS.
Thank you again to the heroes, thank you to PBS for letting their voices finally be heard!!
Rosaire Ifedi
Dear FRONTLINE,
I happened upon the program by chance tonight and I don't think sleep will come easy.
It brought back memories I had long ago buried. I knew what was going on as it was happening. The news showed very graphic images every night.
I especially remember all the bodies in the river, the images of unarmed civilians, children, babies -- never was it man to man armies fighting each other. It was just pure evil. Yes, we had interests there--human interests.
Barbara Tucker
Tucson, Arizona
Dear FRONTLINE,
I happened upon the program by chance tonight and I don't think sleep will come easy. It brought back memories I had long ago buried. I knew what was going on as it was happening. The news showed very graphic images every night. I especially remember all the bodies in the iver, the images of unarmed civilians, children, babies,nener was it a man to man armies fighting each other, it was just pure evil. Yes we had interests there-human interests.
Barbara Tucker
Tucson, Arizona
Dear FRONTLINE,
I clearly remember hearing news stories from Rwanda as the holocast was happening. The images I saw just saw on Fronline were a horrendous replay of the mental images I had listening to NPR back in 1994. It's easy to lay blame at the feet of Clinton, the UN, the Government - in essence, "them." But how many of us picked up a phone to shout "STOP THIS NOW!" to our congressmen and senators? This is a tragedy not only for Rwandans but for the concept of American compassion.
Jan Spitz
Bend, OR
Dear FRONTLINE,
I've been trying to get my head around the film.
Here's my current thinking. People in the UN get so tied up in the importance of process that they were unwilling to risk their process, even with such horrific consequences. It was more important to Annan to preserve the idea of international peacekeeping forces than to risk the whole notion of peacekeeping in an effort to save Rwandans. Without a US President willing to make the case for the intervention, and with a feckless UN bureaucracy, the Rwandans were doomed.
Remind me, again, why Kofi Annan was given a Nobel Peace Prize?
George Purcell Jr.
Austin, TX
Dear FRONTLINE,
I Haven't made up my mind yet, but here's two views:
After Somalia, a lapse like Rawanda was inevitable.
One can't discuss apathy for Rawanda without the context of Somalia. As nonsensical as that phrase might be to an african, it was the US perspective.
Unlike the foreign policy of so many other civilizations, US foreign policy, though often misguided (ie Iraq) is, at its core, well-meaning. Any analysis that fails to see this will share in the cynicism and envy of every tinpot dictator, that ever sent his thugs into the streets.
And the other View:
Interesting, but my first response was to mock the Belgians for wishing to pull out as soon as some of their soldiers were deliberately targetted. How similar was their reaction to our own. Some wars are worth fighting even when you know you won't win.
Dominic Suciu
Seattle, Wa
Dear FRONTLINE,
My prayers to all that stayed that they may know peace, and take solace in that as human beings they did the right thing.
Betrayal is what haunts the people of conscience; indifference and denial is the traits of the leaders.
Thank you Frontline for continuing to air topics that both shame us and enlighten us
Joe Burke
Seattle, Washington
Dear FRONTLINE,
This episode reminded me of the gruesome, shameful consequence of our negligence. Governments agree to intervene only when there is an economic or political argument to do so. We are ethically spineless. It was a small satisfaction to see the world's "leaders"--Albright, Annan, Clinton et al--touring the Rwandan atrocity exhibition. But their subsequent words of contrition are insufficient.
What is being done in the national and transnational arenas to address this depressing failiure so that when the world sees this happen again we will be prepared to act?
Jason F.
San Francisco, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
Thank you for this gripping, horrifying documentary. I hope that when there is another genocide, and I have little doubt that there will be more, the United States will realize that every human is an "interest" of this country.
Jay Foulk
Dear FRONTLINE,
Mr. Gaillard's realization that the Red Cross was basically helping the killers by staying neutral was an especially poignant moment in this moving program. What's more, it's appallingly apparent now that the U.N. is an utter and total failure that needs to be re-organized or dismantled completely. This wasn't the first time the UN failed to act. Ultimately, it's all of mankind that takes the blame for this massacre. We handed the issue to the worlds largest bureaucracy, rather then taking up arms and fighting for peace.
Kevin Stanchfield
Pasadena, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
The press must also take quite a bit of blame. They have no compunction about bombarding us with trivia, like Janet Jackson's breast or sordid murders like Lacy Peterson ad nauseum, but they share a large part of the blame in NOT shouting out, loud and clear not only what was happening, but crying out for something to be done about it. Everyone has some blame, but I don't see the press taking any of it themselves. They could have kept the people more informed and outraged.
Shirley Sacks
Beverly Hills,, CA 
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