Isn't it amazing how easily a :30 second FOXNEWS clip (and CNN, I'm not gonna hate) can alter our sacred, God-given right to our own precious thoughts about just about anything? Especially when the government is supplying the clip? Especially if the interviewers and/or interviewees are paid indirectly by the government?

For example: sometimes I understand and support the Iraqi invasion; sometimes, I'm disgusted by it. Then I'm thinking what a waste of lives (1400+ American neighbors and counting) it would be if we left now. Then I question how many more need to be killed before we leave. I guess I find it disturbing to expect my peers, like my high school friend Jay Silva who was in Baghdad dodging mortar shells and roadside explosives, to continue to sleep with one eye open in some desert so I can enjoy the freedom of watching the news without wearing my bulletproof vest and a helmet.

Movies can have an even greater impact on our opinions or thoughts about world events. Blackhawk Down, JFK and even Remember the Titans have enlightened us to what's going on around us. Even Michael Moore's movie-documentaries shed some light on current events, or at least shape our opinions on Michael Moore.

Recently, I checked out a much anticipated movie called Hotel Rwanda. After reading a book about the civil wars and struggles in Africa and watching numerous documentaries on the Discovery Times Channel, I couldn't wait for my friends to watch the movie and we all share our ideas and opinions about the genocide.

The movie definitely delivered a powerful story. Don Cheadle, Sophie Okonede, Nick Nolte, Joaquin Phoenix, Desmond Duke and the crew all deserve accolades and maybe another million or two for their performances. Terry George (writer and director) and the other producers all receive admiration for their willingness to educate us about the events of 1994. The movie receives four fingers (out of five) from me.

SIDE NOTE: If you wanna see a five finger movie, check out Beat the Drum about the AIDS epidemic in South Africa. An independent film not showing in a theater near you, the movie will move you.

Though I enjoyed Hotel Rwanda, my misunderstanding of the history of the struggle prevented it from receiving all five fingers. My main motivation for watching the movie was to learn more about the genocide and its catalysts. Instead, the genocide was a backdrop to tell the story of the Hutu Rwandan hotel manager Paul Ruseabagina and his heroic actions during the crisis. Though the movie sprinkled a little insight about the western worlds' ignorance of the word genocide, it did not give the complete story of the events and what led to them.

RWANDA HISTORY 101

I couldn't help but to wonder if moviegoers thought this was simply the culmination of an African people mired in civil discontent for decades. I wonder if anyone could figure out from the movie that in the 1920s, the Belgians hoodwinked the Rwandans with an efficient reform system stripping much of the Rwandan leaders' power. The Belgians eventually barred all Hutu leaders from positions of power, civil liberties and even prevented them from receiving higher education, viewed as preparing for a career in administration. The Belgians viewed the Tutsi as the sole builders of such an impressive country, not realizing the contributions of the Hutu.

The divide grew wider for decades between the elite, the Tutsi, and the scrubs, the Hutu, described as valued less than n*ggers. The Tutsi enjoyed the Belgians informing them of their greatness and actually thought they were better than the other human beings because the other human beings were Hutu. The Belgians and the Tutsi systematically oppressed their Rwandan friends and neighbors because of they were Hutu.

Well, the Belgians had their arms twisted from the United Nations in the 1950s and 1960s. They allowed the Hutus to learn and even participate in the governing of themselves. An election was held and in a country where the Hutu outnumbered the Tutsi about seven or eight to one, the Hutus won 80% of the votes to end the Tutsi monarchy. Since 1961, the Hutu and Tutsi have struggled with a hatred bred through the decades of oppression, prejudices and pimping. And the Belgian wisely got the hell outta dodge.

Thirty-five or so many years later, all hell broke loose. And I'm not sure if anyone could tell by watching the movie, but nearly a million people were butchered in a span of about two months. That's nearly 10 people slaughtered a minute! During this time, several thousand or so Muslims in the Balkans were killed by Milosevic, and the United Nations unleashed an arsenal of "now how does it feel?", dropping bombs on Kosovo. And while Tutsi Rwandans were thinking they also were being persecuted like the Albanian Muslims because of their differences as the Hutus were for decades, the Clinton Administration made it clear that the Tutsi, well, weren't. Kinda like Sudan, huh? And the Hutu took advantage of the western worlds' ignorance like the Tutsi took advantage of the Belgian ignorance.

CAN YOU HANDLE THE TRUTH ABOUT RWANDA?

Either-or, there is no way I can enlighten anyone of the true events surrounding Hotel Rwanda, so I direct those who really think they are in the know to check out this site. I even suggest you watch Hotel Rwanda one mo'gin after reading it to get a better idea of how heroic of a feat Paul accomplished.

And for anyone who feels that Hotel Rwanda was overrated, doesn't care about the history or simply never made it this far in my rambling on and on, you get one finger.

TV tubes, plasma screens and silver screens can bring about an awareness to us about world events, but we ultimately have to quit relying on millionaires to give us all the facts. Movie producers and news stations rob us everyday of our gift to decide for ourselves what the truth is. Remember, they are in the business of making money. Unfortunately, many of us simply say, "that's f*cked up," and go back to eating our dinners.