Oh, Glee.

The credits aren’t even done rolling and I’m starting to cry.

I’m a tad disappointed in my mom.

In my history class, we’re learning about the Rwandan genocide and writing a major paper about the Hutu and Tutsi conflict.  When I say major, I mean huge.  Like, it determines whether or not I graduate.  I wasn’t alive yet when it happened, but my mom obviously was so I asked her about what her thoughts on it were at the time.  It was to get more points of view to discuss in my paper and just to add to my swimming pool of knowledge that is randomly in my head.  Well, her answer was as expected.  She hadn’t really thought much about the matter.

The United States didn’t do anything really to intervene on the entire thing.  In fact, they even avoided calling it a genocide so they wouldn’t be obligated by law to do anything and spend the money to go all the way over to Africa.  Which is ridiculous in my opinion.  Seriously, I hate politics.  But I figured a level of not knowing-ness might be in my mom’s memory.  It might not have been as publicized as it should have been.  Maybe she didn’t watch the news in the mid 90s.  But her response was even worse than just not being completely aware.  It’s like she didn’t even care.  And we’re talking about a genocide of over 800,000 people in the span of a little more than three months.  My mom’s always been more materialistic and not concerned herself in world affairs where as I’m always up to date with what’s going on in other countries.  I’m more like my dad in that way.  But her answer was  ignorant and horrible.

First I asked her, “What did you think of the Rwandan genocide?  And she answered with “I don’t know.”  So I pressed her a bit more.  I explained what I knew from the pointless research my teacher made us do that the extremely fascinating but heartbreaking videos we’ve watched in class.  And she answered with, “I’m sorry but they’re all unevolved tribal barbarians and I don’t think we should have intervened in a matter that didn’t concern us.”  I just looked at her.  I couldn’t believe her answer.  

We’re talking about a genocide.  There’s a policy the UN put into place after World War II that states that immediate action is to take place if there is ever another genocide.  It was really our duty to intervene.  And I don’t think we should be the world’s police, but something so horrible and serious as this needed to be stopped no matter if it was a threat to the American people or not.  

I told her that.  She just stared ahead at the road an kept driving as I continued.

I told her that sure, they still have a tribal mind-set.  A lot of people in Africa do.  It’s ingrained in their culture.  You are what your culture is.  Culture is what its people are.  Culture is people.  It’s been in their culture for centuries — nay, millenia.  I’m not saying that everyone from Africa is like that.  I’m not even saying that a lot of people in Africa are like that.  But I told her that the conflict between the Hutus and the Tutsis stem from decades before when the Tutsis persecuted the Hutus when Belgium was in control of Rwanda after the Berlin Conference.  All that tension and anger backfired.  And I’m not saying that the genocide was any one person or people group’s fault.  But I refuted my mom’s remark brutally.

I finished with saying, “What you just said was incredibly ignorant.”  And that’s all I said on the matter.  She started talking about some stupid thing and I just humored her because that’s what I do and that’s what she does.  I couldn’t help but think that if I had asked my dad the same question, he would have talked for hours about the topic and I would have really learned a lot — more than what I’ve learned from my history teacher.  I tried not to think this, though.  It’s not fair to my mom.  My mom can’t be compared to my dad.  They’re completely different people with different passions and interests.  It’s not their fault that they think differently or care about different things.  But still, if my dad were still alive I can guarantee you that he would have had a lot more intelligent things to say about the topic.

Luke I just met you
And this is crazy
But I’m your father
So join me maybe

So perhaps going on tumblr in English class isn’t the brightest thing in the world to do.

First of all, we’re reading. So everything is quiet and everyone knows when you turn a page or shift in your seat.

Second of all, if you see something funny on tumblr, you’re going to laugh at it, right? Well. That’s not too bright in a silent classroom. People stare at you and it’s quite uncomfortable.

Third, of all, people give you weird looks when they see you basically typing out a novel on your phone. So I’m gonna go now so people don’t think I’m one of those people who can ramble on and on about nothing.

Oh wait.