Rwandan Tradegies

We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families: Stories from Rwanda
by Philip Gourevitch

Another book everyone should read. I watched Hotel Rwanda (a movie to watch, but not with the kids) and then borrowed this book from my cousin. (Thanks, Rose!) It's hard to believe how uncaring other countries can be in the face of so much evidence of ongoing genocide, though I shouldn't be surprised given how little America seems to care about what happens in African nations.

This book describes events preceeding and occuring in April 1994 when Hutu mobs began killing Tutsis - their neighbors and friends. There are a few stories of courage, but mostly horror stories of the few survivors. In the second half of the book, Mr. Gourevitch focuses more on the political and national story (as opposed to those of individuals). Though he's a reporter (and therefore, we might expect complete objectivity), Mr. Gourevitch seems supportive of the new government (still in place) established after the state-sponsored genocide was halted by rebel troops.

As horrible as it is, I think it's good to know what people can be capable of and how biased the American government can be (so we have to show that we care what happens in ALL other countries).