Dear FRONTLINE,
Dear Frontline,
Thank you for doing such a moving exposee. . I am working on joining the Peace Corps, but there is so much to do in our world, it is hard to know where to begin. Seeing this within the confines of my comfortable and safe home, I am at once thankful for the peace we have and feel called to action. More than what has happened in the past, much time should be spent on what we can do in future situations like these.
Thank you again.
Nicole Stivers
Seattle, WA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I wouldn't blame our government leaders at that time for not intervening in this surreal tragedy. They were merely a reflection of the culture of our nation.
Let's face it, we are a nation of people who want something for nothing. Had Clinton sent out troops and received dead soldiers in return, some of the people here on this bulletin would have blamed him for sending in troops.
For anybody here to be sincere about sending in troops to foreign nations to solve international problems, they have to be willing to accept the inevitability of asking our military gals & guys to give their lives, even when the outcome is unclear. Let me say that again, EVEN WHEN THE OUTCOME IS UNCLEAR.
There is a price for everything, and sometimes it requires the blood of our people. All of us wish we can make the world a better place, but are you willing to risk your own life? The lives of your family & friends?
If you are, then we do have some hope.
Peter Cheng
Downey, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
Your Frontline report had me in tears (again) about Rwanda.
But, you know, it's not entirely fair to the USA to self-flagellate about it. What about the rest of the world's responsibility?
In particular, I would point to France, as the ex-first world power who over time, caused the separation between the Tutsis and the Hutus, and subsequently denied their responsibility in the matter. France could easily have stopped the genocide, but they sided with the Hutu.
Then look at the Catholic Church and their responsibility for many of the massacres. Many of the French trained priests apparently welcomed the machetes to the huddled souls seeking protection in their churches.
No, it's not fair to point the finger at the USA, it's not the USA's role to police the entire world, in my opinion. Try looking at the UN and the small number of countries that effectively control it's decisions.
It's not Kofi Annan's fault, it's the group of 7. And I'm a citizen of two of them.
I weep. Again. But what can I do? That's not a hypothetical question.
Simon Parry
Dear FRONTLINE,
I have been waiting for a long time to get the full story on Rwanda. I am left with shocked and sadness. We as a nation should do something for Rwanda to make up for our inaction.
I hope everyone in the world could watch this hauting documentary, perhaps the deaths off all those people would cause us to reach out beyond our borders and be availlable to help our fellow-man. Continue the great work
Guy Camara
Indianapolis, IN
Dear FRONTLINE,
Words cannot express how important tonight's documentary was because it transcends the television format completely and unites the human family. Until we as human beings can destroy the barriers that separate us, these tragedies will continue to occur. The borders that divide this planet no matter how well thought out, have no real meaning, however our existence is uniform and our pain universal.
It is this common cord that has brought each viewer to tears and unfortunately our grief and concern has come too late for the millions of people directly impacted by this horrible act of genocide. I'm ashamed to say it but the reason we as Americans allowed this to happen is our prejudice and overriding belief that we are somehow better than the rest of the world. This disease makes it impossible for us to empathize with the rest of the human family.
We are all the same and if this event had occurred in a country we could better identify with it would have never happened. We are all the same and because of this truth genocide will happen again, let's hope next time it's not our country and population that gets ignored.
Yuseth Rollins
Chicago, IL
Dear FRONTLINE,
President Clinton's non-action was a shame but I remember seeing opinion polls at the time that said the general public
concurred with him.
Why does the Western World revere Jesus Christ who never said anything about the paramountness of "national interest" or "protection of one's own"? Then again wasn't he a foreigner too - not born in any country in the "Western world"?
Vish K
Dallas, TX
Dear FRONTLINE,
Braveness and the childish argument on the playground "it's not Fair." Our conservative media is too concerned with a man comitting adultery rather than turning their attention to what was going on. The reason being is the feeling many of us are feeling would of compelled us to end it. People could of ended this. WE DO NOT HAVE A LIBERAL MEDIA.
For all at Frontline. Thanks for the bravery.
Ricardo Santos
Los Angeles, CA
Dear FRONTLINE,
Among the myriad of emotions I felt while watching, anger and shame were the strongest. I was ashamed that the US and other countries did nothing. I was angry at all the officials that were quick to provide empty reasons for not intervening. I was enraged that the Clinton administration spent more time debating on irrelevant details like whether to call the events "genocide" than in actually formulating a response--any response!.
This and the Balkan wars demonstrates to me the ineffectiveness of the UN.
Minh Duong
Dear FRONTLINE,
Im a kenyan residing in the US and words cannot express my utter shock after watching the ghosts of rwanda. It was appalling that the international community could stand by while hundreds of thousands of people were mercilessly slaughtered. We betrayed them, we are all guilty. I was especially shocked by the United States apathy. The Statement by the US offical was especially sobering: "the US does not have friends. It only has interests" and Rwanda apparently did not qualify as an interest.
But what struck me as even more shocking was the inaction by the OAU and african countries in general. Couldnt they have mobilized troops like they did in liberia to stop the genocide? ... Its the same countries that recently had no problems sending trooops to Congo in hopes of diamond fortunes. I quess african countries have no friends either...just interests.
Timo Gakuo
charlotte, nc
Dear FRONTLINE,
Today, I see the same self-interested agenda at work in the Bush administration that apparently led the Clinton administration to distance itself from yet another curtain call from Pure Evil.
Why am I not surprised? Really, are not we, the American people, who ultimately protect ourselves from the misfortunes and brutalizations heaped upon others by electing politicians to represent our own self-interest, first and last? It kind of makes you wonder if it could happen here, courtesy of democracy.
Daniel Rose
Shrewsbury, MA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I stumbled onto the Frontline Rawanda documentary and was immediately engulfed.
As always, this show was an amazing service to journalism and the only real way to do justice to a topic like this. It was informative, provoking, but also a deeply moving story about the good and evil churning in the human soul mixed in the context of international politics.
Frontline should win awards and all of us should look at the role we all play in the world.
Jared Maher
Denver, CO
Dear FRONTLINE,
Though we donít like to admit it, the Clinton administration acted in a regrettable, but rational way given the realities of U.S. politics.
The American people (much like most if not all other people) are unwilling to send their own young men and women to fight and die where there is no national ìinterest.î Such humanitarian operations must be carried out by the UN, and as the Secretary General pointed out in the broadcast, the UN (much like the United States under the Articles of Confederation) must rely on the voluntary provision of military force by its members.
Were genocide to happen in a place where industrialized nations have collective ìinterests,î yes weíd respond with the kind of speed and strength necessary to stop it.
Michael Turner
Philadelphia, PA
Dear FRONTLINE,
I am 38 years old, and this is the first time I have ever heard about what happened in Rwanda. I ask myself the question, If Rwanda was rich in oil, What would have been the outcome. Would we as a nation, helped.
Jackie Turner
Cartersville, Georgia
Dear FRONTLINE,
The UN and the nations that were in the best position to intervene failed the Rwandan people. We must not, however, forget the great men and women who stayed behind to lend a helping hand.
Instead of awarding the Nobel Peace Prize to politicians who stand by and do nothing, a case should be made for the next Nobel Peace Prize to be awarded to General Romeo Dallaire, Captain Mbaye Diagne (posthumously), Philippe Gaillard, Carl Wilkens, the Ghanian peacekeepers, and to all others who stayed behind to help. These were not merely peacekeepers, they were peace-makers.
Kiong Lee
Dear FRONTLINE,
As a student, the documentary was recommended by my professor at the University of Minnesota. She served in Rwanda, working for the UN, documenting examples of the genocide. She echoed the story of many who were left feeling powerless due to lack of resources. My point being, although I watched because I had reason for class, I also had my family watch. Not surprisingly, they had little idea of what had occurred. Nor did any of my other friends. To me that is what is most shocking.
If we have claimed as a nation, "never again", how can so many of our citizens have such little knowledge of what transpired? One would think that knowledge empowers action, yet without knowledge the loss of so many innocent lives seems to be in vain. Ten years later we can not change what has happened. Yet we can be sure that 800,000+ Rwandans are remembered, and not shuffled under the rug like some bureacratic foul up by the UN, US, or other western nations. Programs such as "Ghosts of Rwanda" are only the beginning, but should be applauded for the effort.
Joan Reidell
Saint Paul, MN 
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