Blood Diamond..
Last Friday, I had a little get-together that I often have with friends, called movie night. We watch all kinds of movies, mostly comedy based, but this night, we watched “Blood Diamond.” Like any other night, we emptied the extra large pizza box and gorged ourselves with popcorn, and nestled ourselves in a tight bunch on the extra comfy couch. It was the same ritual we always have on a Friday night, and as the movie started, I watched. Minute by minute, my eyes would open up wide, then shut tight. The whole movie, I was shocked that this was all based on reality. I just couldn’t imagine that this was a situation that our world was dealing with. And it only happened nine or ten years ago! I was a young girl with the best life I could ask for, while at the same time, some child was suffering. And not just one, but hundreds, thousands of children losing their homes, families, and lives.
Sierra Leone is where the movie basically took place. The year, 1999, was towards the end of these diamond wars, but even near the end, there was enough conflict to have the country fall apart. The rebels, also known as the Revolutionary United Front (RUF), were an important, yet terrifying element of this civil war. Not only did they kill and assault government officials and civilians, but: “Tens of thousands were killed and more than 2 million of the country’s 5.5 million people were displaced.” (OneWorld.net).The RUF recruited young children to join their force, teaching them to kill their own people and influencing them to consume alcohol and drugs. These children were taken away from their families against their will. The conflict lasted even longer because of the smuggling of diamonds to bordering countries Liberia and Guinea. These diamonds were bought by several countries from the RUF, which helped to fund weapons. How were these diamonds acquired? The rebels took men away from their homes to have them search for diamonds, and, if I remember correctly, for every country that bought from the rebels; one person’s hand was cut off. Meanwhile, families were fleeing from their villages to refugee camps for safety. After years and years of fighting and killing, Nigeria interfered and the country was finally at peace. Even now, it is still trying to pull itself together.
So, why do people resort to violence when there is always another option? Violence is obviously never the way to solve things. Look at what it did to Sierra Leone; look at what it has done to the world! What’s the point of creating problems that will never have a good outcome? Is it selfishness? I think that’s what it is. The RUF rebels wanted what was best for them, but not for the rest of the nation, am I right? That was the impression that I got by watching the movie and while reading more about it. And people act violently out of selfishness all the time. People kill others for many reasons, whether it’s for their money, to hide some kind of evidence, or just because they are in some way their enemy. But they never take into account the pain of those who will have to deal with the sorrow of that loved one’s death. Wouldn’t the world seem less violent if we just empathize with each other? But because of our selfishness, it seems we can’t do that. It’s almost like a vicious circle; if we all understood each other, there would be no egotism, but because we are so self-centered, we don’t focus on being empathetic. Empathy is important because it puts yourself in another situation that could completely open your eyes, metaphorically speaking. Once you comprehend the situation, you know exactly what to do, whether it’s to help or to pass on the word. And by writing this, I’m passing it on to you. It’s as simple as breathing.
Feel the beat! 
For more info, check out the following link:
http://us.oneworld.net/article/view/143607/1/2216?gclid=CJKykeexvpMCFQGbnAodKizVDA
The following video is a trailer for “Blood Diamond.”
