one woman's best friend is another's enemy
My words could never be enough to convey my despair towards humanity tonight. After watching the Oscar nominated Blood Diamond, I am feeling the way I always do after movies which highlight what tragedy ensues in Africa: stirred.
As scenes of lush, green mountains and African sunsets illuminated the screen I felt a tug at my heart that only the red earth of that destitute land can arouse. To Leo DiCaprio's credit, his attempt at a South African accent was admirable but the novelty thereof soon wore off as the film shifted its focus. The film draws attention to the illegal trade of diamonds in Sierra Leone and the civil war that took place as a result. Audiences worldwide will be confronted by the horrors of children being wrenched from their families to be used as soldiers and losing limbs as rebels mince the government’s words and turn them on the innocent. And they will walk out and continue life as they know it.
A particular excerpt of the movie will haunt me until I set aside my Western mindset that Africa is too big to conquer. A man, who has lost everything, including his family, sees hope in a journalist who is writing about the devastating circumstance that these people are facing. He believes that, when the rest of the world hears what is going on, they will come and help.
At that moment I was embarrassed about my life; embarrassed that I am a part of a society that would see a crisis, be fully equipped to help and still choose to keep walking.
No ‘precious’ diamond is worth lost innocence. Everything inside of me wants to plead with the ‘privileged’ world to just do something. Surely, by now, we have enough diamonds in the world to satisfy our fickle aspirations? Tonight I can see no sparkle in any diamond, only senseless bloodshed and there is nothing precious or beautiful about that.
As scenes of lush, green mountains and African sunsets illuminated the screen I felt a tug at my heart that only the red earth of that destitute land can arouse. To Leo DiCaprio's credit, his attempt at a South African accent was admirable but the novelty thereof soon wore off as the film shifted its focus. The film draws attention to the illegal trade of diamonds in Sierra Leone and the civil war that took place as a result. Audiences worldwide will be confronted by the horrors of children being wrenched from their families to be used as soldiers and losing limbs as rebels mince the government’s words and turn them on the innocent. And they will walk out and continue life as they know it.
A particular excerpt of the movie will haunt me until I set aside my Western mindset that Africa is too big to conquer. A man, who has lost everything, including his family, sees hope in a journalist who is writing about the devastating circumstance that these people are facing. He believes that, when the rest of the world hears what is going on, they will come and help.
At that moment I was embarrassed about my life; embarrassed that I am a part of a society that would see a crisis, be fully equipped to help and still choose to keep walking.
No ‘precious’ diamond is worth lost innocence. Everything inside of me wants to plead with the ‘privileged’ world to just do something. Surely, by now, we have enough diamonds in the world to satisfy our fickle aspirations? Tonight I can see no sparkle in any diamond, only senseless bloodshed and there is nothing precious or beautiful about that.
posted by foxy_roxtar at 12:31 AM
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