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			Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins

Tell us what you think about Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins.

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My husband and I want to applaud your courage in sponsoring the program about the School of the Americas. I majored in Latin American history as an undergraduate, so I was already familiar with the School; however, many Americans find it hard to believe that such a place exists.

Unfortunately, we only saw the tail end of the program. I hope that KCET in Southern California will air it again soon.

The most important and disturbing documentary I think I've ever seen.
Thanks for airing it.

To whom it may concern: I am Vet and I really admire what Father Roy does for people of Central America. I wish to send him a email, if you have please give it to me. If not, please send me the address of his church so I can send him a letter. Thanks a lot for your help

We recently saw FATHER ROY on KQED/San Francisco (PBS). It was one of the most meaningful, well-done, and thought provoking shows we have ever seen on television.

Keep up the great work!!!!!

Thank you for the excellent programing you provided KQED about the School of the Americas. The underlying issue that has yet to be addressed is: "About Democracy: Do We Mean What We Say?"

This overarching theme would surely address various actions taken by the CIA and other internationally interactive components of the U.S. government. An exploration of CIA official procedural manuals in this context might be interesting. I hope your organization will fund such a production if the opportunity arises.

Michael & Kathleen Malloy

Dear ITVS,
I just finished watching the program FATHER ROY: INSIDE THE SCHOOL OF ASSASSINS. Thank you for producing such an outstanding and informative program. It provides some hope that your organization is working to these positive ends.

Eden

Dear ITVS,
I enjoyed the KQED program on Father Roy last week. The program described a clear link between the U.S. government and terrorism abroad. I listen to radio stations such as KPFA, NPR and the commentaries reveal U.S. government's support of oppressive military activities, but specific events of the government's involvement were elusive in my mind. Content on the radio can be alarming but never as graphic as a visual image. This program, however, has been etched in my memory. I now understand and can articulate a specific example, an organization (School of Americas) that supports these terrorist activities, and how they relate to our tax dollars. Most appalling is that this is happening literally in our backyard. Yet, there is still so little media coverage. I'm surprised that the school of americas is still in operation and that there hasn't been a greater public outcry. Why are we training non-U.S. soldiers anyhow? If dollars need be spent for reinforcing foreign relations, there should be greater emphasis on teaching diplomacy, peaceful measures of negotiation, alternative means of finding solutions to complex problems and a commitment for a peaceful society. I have often felt that the root of our problems in foreign affairs is our inability as Americans to understand the needs of a given country and its people. I believe we have long supported oppressive governments purely out of our naivete.

It is meaningful to me that the plight is led by a Catholic priest and I, as a Buddhist, and others who are committed to humanity must feel the same. We must work for the people and the oppression must stop.

Thank you for showing a great program. And thank you to Father Roy for his perseverance, fighting for the truth, and for enlightening me to the tragic events that have been supported by our government.

Karen Decker

Hi, I just wanted to say that I saw the program about the School of the Americas a few weeks ago on the PBS station. It was great to see those kind of issues getting publicity. I wish it would be viewed by more of the public. I just saw a flier advertising a speaking event with Father Roy Bourgeois in SF and I'm very excited about hearing him speak. Thanks for your concern and good work.

Both my boyfriend and I are Air Force Officers, just recently transtioning to civilian life and still listed as "inactive reservists." We saw your special on Father Roy, the Maryknoll priest, and his plight against the U.S. Army School of the Americas at Ft. Benning, GA. We were appalled at the overwhelming evidence of human rights violations committed by School of the Americas graduates that Fr. Roy and his following have presented to deaf ears of the U.S. Congress, and outraged that our military has been a part of these atrocities.

When we were stationed at Pope AFB in North Carolina, the School of the Americas would yearly tour our base as part of their curriculum. In my position as a Medical Readiness Officer, I routinely prepared my troops to do a presentation on our tactical aeromedical evacuation capabilities. We were told these were the best and finest officers in Latin America. Now, having learned of Fr. Roy's stories, I am sickened that I was so misled by my leaders as to give these killers reverence.

Having experienced several DoD schools in my 9 years of training both on active duty and as a cadet at the Air Force Academy, I always knew there was a "dark" side to our military. I never doubted that CIA /DIA schools that taught interrogation and torture exist. I also never thought the schools had a budget of nearly $3 million in taxpayer dollars, were training facist militant leadership in Latin America, and respected as "honorable" institutions. I never knew there was evidence the training techniques were used to kill innocent children who's parents were fighting for the very same freedoms that allow me to write this e-mail today.

Though this piece was certainly not produced recently, it has opened my eyes to the complacency today that has been so easily accepted by millions of people blindly follow our leaders. I never questioned the officers appointed over me, and I am sure millions of Americans have trusted their congressmen in the name of "patriotism" and pride in our military's expertise. Little do we know of the monsters we create, whether intentionally or not, by sharing our expertise in defending our own democracy.

Thank you for airing the special on Fr. Roy. Please run it again and again. In my opinion, it cannot get enough exposure until we see the school is closed.

Thank you for the documentary about Father Roy's struggle to awaken the American conscience to the dangers produced at the School of the Americas.

Cookie Anderson
Gja53207@aol.com

I wish I could cry but all I feel is anger at living in a country that blatantly trains soldiers/officers to kill or maim or mutilate their own people. It's hard having any respect for the U.S. I believe we are the worst terrorist country in the world. We point fingers at the Chinese or Russians or Koreans or any other "human rights abusers" but train individuals on our own soil to do the same. What hypocrites we are. Thank you for exposing this. I wish the program could be shown in every town & in every classroom so we could rid our nation of this horror.

I am aware that you are currently contemplating airing the controversial "School of Assasins" video on television in April. I am writing to strongly urge you to air the show. Although it is controversial, the government airs their views on the subject dailiy on the evening news. It is only fair to allow the Father to have his video shown. Many Americans have no idea about the School of Americas, I nkow i didn't until viewing the video in my college history class. I think it is extremely important that the general public be able to view this video.

Michael Auda
mikeauda@yahoo.com

Last night around midnight I watched a program on GPTV concerning Father Roy Bougouis and the School of the Americas. Previously I had only heard of the school, but never really educated myself about it. Your not only educated me upon the matter, but gave me ideas on what I, an ordinary citizen, can do to make a difference. As a recent college graduate, I often find myself frustrated at all the problems within our country, and in that frustration become confused as to what I can do.

I found your program intriguing and hope that your station continues to shed light on the school and Father Roy's progress. Your showing the program does exactly what Father Roy calls us to do as far as raising awareness is concerned. Please continue to show the program, and keep up the good work.

Sonia
Georgia

I saw the documentary "Father Roy: Inside the School of the Assassins" a couple of weeks ago and I've been meaning to send my comments on this issue, and I just could make myself to write until today. I just finished reading everybody else's opinions on this subject and I was saddened to see that not even one hispanic person either saw the show or did not have something to say about this. oh, but I do. I have a lot to say and not just as a human being but as a Salvadoran. You see I was born in El Salvador and I have witnessed first hand the atrocities that these so called highly decorated officers commit or have committed against my people thier own people. For example; I remember when President Jose Napoleon Duarte was kipnapped and had two or three fingers mutilated and his finger nails were pulled of his fingers to torture him. I remember crying when I heard this had happened. I remember the time my uncle and some neighbors were dragged out of thier bed during the night by the Dead Squadrons accusing them of being involved with guerrilla fighters when my uncle and these neighbors were all farmers and had never seen a weapon in their life. By the time I was 8 years old I've already seen about 6 mutilated and burned bodies that the Dead Squadrons had dropped on the road a couple of blocks from my grandma's house two of the bodies were still hanging from the tree were they had been killed and burned or just burned to death, the neighbors buried these bodies exactly were they were found. I think Father Roy is doing a great job in Latin America and I tell my husband that if I wasn't married and 5 months pregnant I will go help Father Roy with this mission. There is one more thing that many North Americans might not know and is that my people are being killed by M16's which are the same weapons that U.S. soldiers use, I know this as a sergeant who spent 8 years of my life serving my adopted country. The U.S. government even provide them weapons but of course I'm sure that most North Americans are familiar with the Oliver North story. Father Roy God Bless You, and I thank you. I had tried to put all of this out of my mind because I thought that nobody cared but I see now that I was wrong there is still a lot of good people at there who care about those who suffer because of somebody else's political agenda and the lives and families of the poor are not part of that agenda. Thank you again for a job well done...

George Franco
ghfranco@earthlink.net

I saw your show "Father Roy: Inside the School of Assassins." I have served in the US Army for twelve years. I also served in the School of the Americas as an instructor, and I can categorically tell you that many of the allegations of this documentary are either misleading or completely false. The damage caused by this show is that it leads your viewers to question the legitimacy of our government and the moral rectitude of the US Army. We are the guys who fed the hungry in Somalia, who stopped ethnic cleansing in Kosovo and Bosnia and who stand guard around the world to defend democracy and US interests. We are not a bunch of Nazis. Respect for human rights was the cornerstone of everything we did in the School of the Americas. The question that your show failed to ask is how many human rights abuses did the School of the Americas avert? While it is true that some graduates did commit crimes, how many more returned to their countries and did the right thing by supporting the rule of law? The best way to have a positive influence with the militaries in Latin America is by working with those that are trying to do the right thing. Branding them all as war criminals is both unfair and counter-productive. Everything I did and observed in the School of the Americas conformed to high ethical standards. Today there isn't a single military dictatorship in all of Latin America. Is it possible that the School of the Americas might have played a minor role in making this so?

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