This post if for periods 1 and 2 students only.
First, please do me a favor - read the blog entry entitled "Quick Poll" - it's the one right below this one. Then meet me back here.
Good, you're back. Thanks for taking the poll. Now, here is a speech by Paul Rusesabagina, the man about whom the film Hotel Rwanda is based. Give it a look.
Think of a person/character - living or dead, real or fictional - that you think shares a characteristic with Rusesabagina. Take your evidence both from the film and the speech video. Be sure to supply details to support your claims.
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When listening to this interview, hero Chesley Sullenberger III comes to mind. Chesley is the pilot who landed his plane safely into the Hudson River last winter when technical issues arose. Like Rusesabagina, he thought quick on his feet to save so many innocent lives, even though it put himself at danger. Underlying this characteristic is also the care and appreciation for human life, which runs in both Chesley and Rusesabagina, for putting others before themself. All too easily either man could have abandoned the situation and left everybody behind to fend for themselves, but that is not the way either story ended up.
ReplyDeleteBY LOGAN- (DON'T HAVE A USER NAME)
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to Rusesabagina's speech and thinking of the movie, I thought of Miep Gies. Miep Gies was a woman who helped Anne Frank and more jews hide from the nazis. Both Rusesabagina and Gies helped save people during a genocide. Also, both of them helped people outside of their own group and risked their lives. Rusesabagina helped Tutzis when he was a Hutu and Gies helped Jews when she was a Christian.
When litsening to Rusesabagina's speech the most important characteristic that he behold's is being a hero. Rusesabagina's saved 1200 poeples lives in a hotel. He displayed himself as being strong by risking his own life to save others. One person who connects with Rusesabagina is Martin Luther King Jr. a hero who lived for justice by marching forward for the civil rights movement and made America truly the land of the free. He displayed courage by helping and saving poeples lives.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to Rusesabagina's speech Tom Foust, Tyler Brown, and Zach Demertzis came into my mind. These three teenage boys who attend Glenbrook South High School were driving by the Glenview train tracks on September 8th when they saw an old lady make a wrong turn onto the tracks! Then a train started to approach and the boys were quick to react and help the woman get to safety. The lady was saved and the car was slammed into by the train. These three boys became heroes the day they saved the old lady's life. Three ordinary boys becoming leaders and taking a risk that might have effected their lives if they did not save her in time. The boys are like Rusesabagina becuase he risked his life to save the Tutzis and refugees. Also at the end of Rusesabagina's speech he says to the student, "go outside there and make a difference." Tom, Tyler, and Zach made a difference to the old lady's life that day and they became ordinary heroes.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to Rusesabagina's speech Tom Foust, Tyler Brown, and Zach Demertzis came into my mind. These three teenage boys who attend Glenbrook South High School were driving by the Glenview train tracks on September 8th when they saw an old lady make a wrong turn onto the tracks! Then a train started to approach and the boys were quick to react and help the woman get to safety. The lady was saved and the car was slammed into by the train. These three boys became heroes the day they saved the old lady's life. Three ordinary boys becoming leaders and taking a risk that might have effected their lives if they did not save her in time. The boys are like Rusesabagina becuase he risked his life to save the Tutzis and refugees. Also at the end of Rusesabagina's speech he says to the student, "go outside there and make a difference." Tom, Tyler, and Zach made a difference to the old lady's life that day and they became ordinary heroes.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to the speech by Rusesabagina, one person came to mind, Gandhi. Both share many characteristics. They both fight for civil rights for their people. They are both trying to make peace without violence. They are both citizens themselves during a civil war, trying to help make peace between the rebels. Paul saved many people from the Hutu army and hid them in his hotel. He was just a hotel manager that would already be safe, since he was Hutu himself. He went out of his way to help 1,200 plus people that were tutsi. Mahatma Gandhi went through a very similar situation. He saved many people from the rebels and British in India, making peace.
ReplyDeleteIn my opinion, Paul Rusesabagina is similar to King Leonidas, the Spartan king played by Gerarld Butler in the movie, 300. These two men are similar because they tried their absolute best to hold off very dangerous people from doing countless destructions. Paul Rusesbagina saved 1200 people by keeping them in his hotel. King Leonidas on the other hand, killed many persians to save his people and other races that were in the path of the Persians. These men also decided to go their own way and broke a few rules like keeping too many people in the hotel and going to war without permission to keep their people safe.
ReplyDeletePaul Rusesabagina shows what we could call true courage. He resisted all of his fears when he had to save the innocent people that were being killed. He still had fear, its just that he was able to master it. That is why he is very couragous. Someone else that shows just as much courage as Rususabagina is Harriet Tubman. She was a african american women that was a slave in the 1800's. She ran away from her slave owner and basically saved herself, yet that was not enough for her she also saved the lives of thousands of other slaves that needed to be saved from there cruel owners. She could have gotten caught trying to help people and gotten the death penalty but that did not stop her. Rusesabagina was also putting his life on the line for people he did not even know very well. In the speech his final words were that you should go out into the world and make a difference. That is exactly what Tubman and himself have done.
ReplyDeleteWhen watching Hotel Rwanda I kept thinking about the movie The Blind Side. In the movie a rich family helped a student who did not have anything in his life except his memories. They took him into their home and feed and took care of him. If they had not done that, he would of been dead just like his brother, because he delt with drugs and gangs. In hotel Rwanda, Paul Rusesabagina was a manager of a hotel that was well known and had good business. When the Hutus took over he helped poeple who needed him, and he saved 1200 people.
ReplyDeleteAs I was watching Hotel Rwanda and listening to Paul Rusesabagina's speech, I noticed that Rusesabagina was persistant. In his situation, all odds were against him and few people believed that one man, a hotel manager, could save many people. While trapped in the hotel, Rusesabagina called many powerful people and sent many faxes as well. He did everything he possibly could which saved the people and himself in the end. I made a comparison between Paul and George Washington. During the Revolutionary War, all odds were against George Washington. He fought as hard as he could even though he was expected to lose. Washington's ability to push through this situation later led to the freedom of America. In both of their situations, they persisted towards a greater cause which ended in success as well.
ReplyDeleteNathaniel Rosenberg
ReplyDeletePaul Rusesabagina did a deed that many would have failed to do. There was another man in the Rwandan genocide who did some thing very similar Carl Wilkens. He was one of the few nonRwandans who desided to stay and help. Like Paul he negotiated with people to try to save the people under his Protection. And also like Paul he had to do a lot of thinking in order to save the people under his care from the Hutu's even geting the president of Rwanda to help him at points.
After listening to Paul Ruseasbagina's speech, the first person that came to my mind was Gandhi. Both Paul and Gandhi worked hard to save their own people without violence, and only through peace. For example, Gandhi worked his way out to save his people by leading India during the Indian independence movement. Similar to Gandhi, Paul worked his way out to save Tutsis by risking his own life as a Hutu.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to the interview and watching the movie Hotel Rwanda Paul Rusesabagina reminds me of Harriet Tubman. Paul wanted to help all the people he possibly could. He came up with a secret way to hide everyone while Harriet came up with a way to get everyone to escape. They both wanted everyone to survive without causing a commotion. He also needed a lot of quick thinking to out wit the soldiers. Unlike Harriet, Paul had connections with people to protect him and whoever was with him, but ended up with no one because everyone left him.
ReplyDeleteI think one person who could be compared to Paul Rusesabagina in Abraham Lincoln. Rusesabagina was some one who risked a lot to help hundreds of people out in their time of need. He tried to protect their rights even though they were from a different background (Tutsis). Abraham Lincoln basically did the same thing for slavery and to help out African Americans. Lincoln risked a lot doing this and it unfortunately got him killed.
ReplyDeleteI think that a person that would be best compared to Paul Rusesabagina is Martin Luther King Jr. because he was trying to help the African American race to be treated fairly no matter what their color skin was.Rusesabagina had risked his life and reputation to help the refugees that were at his hotel.Martin Luther King had done a similar thing by risking his life to stand up for what he believed in and gave the people a voice that others had ignored.
ReplyDeleteMarc Jacome
ReplyDeleteOne of the first individuals that, im my mind, struck a resemblance to Rusesabagina was John Brown. In an almost parallel situation in America during the mid 19th century, Johhn Brown, a white man, helped rearm african american slaves and tried liberating them from slavery. This was very unconventional on multiple levels, but the most obvious beign that he risked his life for what he beleived in. Like Rusesabagnia, this was for a group of people he had personel connections to and wanted to protect
I feel that Paul reminds me of Miep Gies. Gies was a dutch woman who helped hide Anne Frank and her family during the Holocaust. Similar to Gies, Paul helped hide hundreds of Tutsis during the time of the Rwandan civil war between Hutus, and Tutsis. Miep Gies risked her life throughout the whole war to try and hide the Frank family they are both alike just in the fact that they are such strong people. They both had the ability to lead and they both risked their lives just to help other people. Paul paid off the Hutu rebel army with 100,000 francs, and Miep Gies lied and manipulated the Nazi's numerous times so they wouldnt find the franks. I think that Paul Ruesebganea is most like Miep Gies.
ReplyDeleteNot just one person comes to mind when I watch Hotel Rwanda and ask myself who is a really hero? It is not just a person flying around wearing a cape, and Paul proves this. He is a normal person who's decisions saved and helped many people. The great amount of people that Paul saved is amazing, but even saving just one person is important as well. I think that all people who donate organs/blood, are heroes just like Paul. They, like Paul, sacrifice a lot to help people survive. People who donate their organs and blood, save people's lives and help them go on living. Their decisions, like Paul's save lives, and they live to make the world better.
ReplyDeletePaul Rusesabagina reminded me of the main character of 101 Dalmatians. He was a man that didn't want anything bad to happen to these innocent people so he did everything he could to save them. The man from 101 Dalmatians liked dogs but never thought he would be forced to hide so many and protect them from a mad woman. These people were both looking out for others out of kindness and didnt expect anything in return which is why Paul Rusesabagina is such a hero.
ReplyDeleteJessy Shellard
ReplyDeleteWhen listening to PaulRuesebganea I thought of Saticlo from In the Time of the Butterflies. He was the guard who secretly helped the sisters by passing them things from Patria and Dede and keeping Mate's necklace for her because it was gold. On the outside he was a man who was on the "bad guys" side, like Paul. Paul was a Hutu but did not take part in the killing, but he was still Hutu. Santiclo secretly helped the inmates, and although it was not much, he still risked his life and job for them, like Paul did. Santiclo did not know these women, yet he helped them all the same, just like Paul.
While listening to Paul Rusesabagina's speech, he likes to be able to help people before helping himself. He wants to help innocent people and try to make everyone's lives better. His attitude towards others reminds me of my grandmother's personality and kindness. She was always thinking of others before herself. She was not satisfied until what she wanted to complete was accomplished. They both enjoy pleasing people and love to make everyone smile because they knew they had something to do with it.
ReplyDeleteAs soon as i heard Paul Rusesabagina's speech and the things he had said i thought of Mother Theresa. Both had done ordinary things with perseverance and consistency to made extraordinary outcomes. They both hadn't given up and they both had helped those who were helpless.Both of them had made an impact on the lives of others though their consistency and drive to not give up.
ReplyDeleteAs I wacthed the video of Rusesabagina, it showed me that some people will do whatever they can to help others. When I watched this it simply reminded me of every soldier who has ever fought for a cause. Americans who are fighting now are giving everything they can, even if that is their own life, to protect us and keep us a free nation with peace. Rusesabagina did just what a soldier does; they help in an attempt to satisfy others, and without all the great people like them our world would be drastically differant.
ReplyDeleteAfter watching the video about Paul Rusesabagina and how he saved over one thousand tutsi people, the first person to come to my mind who extremely resembles him is Oskar Schindler. Oskar Schindler was a man who lived during the time of World War II who saved many jews from being killed by the natzis. He took over a thousand Jewish refugees and employed them in his factories so they wouldn't be sent to concentration camps and be killed. Although they lived through different times and in different countries, the men both have motives to save innocent peoples' lives from being killed and they both achieved this motive and saved over one thousand innocent people.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to Paul Rusesabagina one word comes to mind, determination. He says in his speech that he "insisted on sending faxes... all around the world." That shows his strong determination in getting help, when he could have just asked someone else to save his life. A famous person who I feel had similar determination, was the Wright brothers. The Wright brothers failed 14 times in making a plane till they finally had success. This shows their determination by how many times they failed but continued to try in order to have success.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Rusesabagina's speech and watching Hotel Rwanda during class, Paul Ruseasabagina reminds me a lot of Harry Potter. It may seem to you that Paul Rusesabagina and Harry Potter are very different but when you take a closer look, both people share many of the same characteristics. Both Paul Rusesabagina and Harry Potter have lost friends and family close to them by a group of people who have discriminated against another group. In Paul’s case it is the Hutu’s discriminating against the Tutsi’s and in Harry’s case it is the “True Blood’s” discriminating against the “Mudbloods.” Both Paul and Harry are stuck in situations where many people rely on them to help a large group of people. Paul and Harry both show great amounts of strength and courage when fighting non- violently against another group of people who have no moral values or limits. Even though Harry Potter may be a fictional character, his bravery and desire to help others is a characteristic shown in Paul Rusesabagina as well.
ReplyDeleteAfter listening to Paul speak, he reminded me of Miep Gies, which was the woman that sheltered Anne Frank from the Nazis during the Holocaust. Paul was a Hutu - he was safe, and he knew he was safe, but he chose to put himself in danger and protect the Tutsi refugees. It was the same with Miep Gies. He wasn't in danger from Hitler, but she chose to put herself in harm's way in order to protect a girl from getting arrested by the Nazis.
ReplyDeleteI didn't realize that Miep Gies was taken already...
ReplyDeleteAnyways, in that case, Paul also reminded me of the Mirabal sisters, because Paul again, he was not in danger himself, but he put himself in harm's way in order to protect the Tutsi people. When the Mirabal sisters were released from jail, they were sentenced into house arrest. They were clear of their charges. However, they managed to sneak out, and they began to help the men in prison regularly, because the men were getting killed off by the guards.
Paul reminded me of Julian Bilecki, who was only a teenager at the time, helped his family hide 23 Jews in an underground bunker during the holocaust. Him and his family risked their lives to save over twenty people. They weren't required to help anyone, but they instead helped 23 Jews escape death. Paul and Julian are both brave heroes that were determined to save lives and help many people and they ended up doing just that.
ReplyDeletePaul reminds me of Abraham Lincoln. Both men were great leader and were responsible for those under him. Paul was a Hutu and he easily could just of taken his children and his wife and bribe the guards for their safety but he pays for all the tutzis to come with him to the hotel. Just like Abraham Lincoln Paul believes Hutu or Tutzi all men were created equal
ReplyDeleteWatching Paul Rusesabegina's speech, he reminded me of the many Polish people who helped hide the Jews during the Holocaust. They would put them under the floor, in a secret room, or in the attic providing food and other basic needs; just like Paul held them in his hotel and away from the outside malitiamen. One of them was Zofia Kossak-Szczuzka, the founder of Zegota, an organization to help Jews escape the Holocaust. Paul and Zofia and the many other Polish people risked their single lives in order to save many others. People like this deserve to be recognized and honored for their bravery and unselfishness.
ReplyDeleteListening to Paul Rusesabegina speak, I feel strength and courage leaking through his words. In reminiscing the genocide in Rwanda and the days living at the hotel, he spoke of his actions and his determination to never give up because he's got "nothing to lose". His determination to never back down from giving peace a chance reminded me of John Lennon and his ideals for peace expressed through music. John Lennon and Paul Rusesabegina are different because John was acting out against violence as a spectator rather than being a participant in the actual violence like Paul. But these two men both wanted people to get together and get along, they both wanted compromises and agreements to disagree between rivals instead of war and violence because they thought of it as very wrong. The both helped/saved many people and influenced even more. Not to mention, both men were deceived to, lied to, and stabbed in the back enough to take a step out and reach for aide in a cause and work their way through it to get the message across to the world: as to what evil is going on, and the importance of stopping it.
ReplyDeleteWhile i was listening to Paul Rusesabegina's speech he showed his courage through his words and you were able to tell his true dedication that he felt for his country and family. In the movie Hotel Rwanda Paul really put in alot of effort to save his people. He did everything from bribe his alliances to putting himself at risk and lieing to important people who have more power than him. But what he really got out there to me what that he didnt care what kind of person they were tribes didnt matter to him. Paul knew that being associated with the "cockroaches" was a BIG sacrfice. While i was listening and watching these films it reminded me of Harriet Tubman because she gained the courage to keep going back to save other slaves when going back more and more put her in a higher risk to be enslaved again. she figured out way to get people to the underground rail road. no matter how much walking it took most likely not even having shoes, or how late it was and how tired she was, what matter to her was putting everyone before herself. that exactly how Paul felt. both of these people along with many other were very corageous in what the did. they never gave up they put all they had no matter what was their scarfice to help others. I think that Paul's actions drew much attention to what is going on around the world and that we all should be corageous and maybe this world would be a better place.
ReplyDeleteWhile listening to Paul Rusesabegina's speech, the movie/book that came to mind was Harry Potter. All seven of them. In Harry Potter, a specific person was Albus Dumbledore. Albus Dumbledore was a man who was trying to fight off evil within the Wizarding Community. As he saw the dark wizards approaching though, he tried everything he could to fight them off from Hogwarts as the Death Eaters (very similar to the Hutu Rebels) were trying to infiltrate the school with the Dark and evil magic. The Death Eaters are bent on wiping the Wizarding Community free of Muggleborns and Half-Bloods, such as the Hutu rebels were trying to "clenase" the country of the Tutis people. But Albus Dumbledore did everything in his power to defend the castle walls and Harry Potter to be specific. He knew that if everyone learned about the situation of the Dark Lord, that they could all fight for one cause, hence "The Order of the Phoenix." But in any matter Paul Rusesabegina and Albus Dumbledore could both be viewed in the same light, but in very different situations.
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