The following is dedicated to the life and memory of Elie Wiesel, and all victims of the Holocaust.
We are standing on the precipice of a central point in history. On October 7 our world changed forever. We all know about the horrific attack upon Israeli citizens that has led into a bloody war between Israel and Hamas. You don’t need me for commentary over this situation. I feel that as a young American, standing in the midst of this important time in American history, it is not merely important, but it is my duty to say something about the situation unfolding before my eyes. Whether a result of politics gone horribly wrong, or just some deep seated bitterness that has been repressed for too long, I can’t decide either way. Maybe it’s both. Either way, as of this moment there is a slew of hateful and bitter acts directed toward Jewish people. Some of it is a bit petty, just cowardly individuals throwing around pathetic comments online. There are other insipid people who do other things, spray painting disgusting graffiti, hurling insults at people they don’t know, or taking part in senseless rallies.
I put a lot of thought into what I’m about to say. I almost decided not to ay anything at all. Isn’t someone always being mistreated, somewhere in the world? Social media platforms quickly become land fills for the most disgusting ideas and actions. We all understand this. Or do we?
One of my all time heroes is a man named Elie Wiesel, who is sadly no longer with us. His life and influence have convinced me that this is not the time for silence. He was a Holocaust survivor who wrote and spoke passionately about the plight of mistreated individuals everywhere. In my opinion he is one of the greatest writers I have ever read. He had the unique gift to to speak simply, and yet it is rare for me to read anything he has written/said and not be moved to tears. As I was trying to decide whether I should say anything at all, I re-read his speech when he accepted the Nobel Peace Prize. By the time I reached the end, I was convinced I had to write.
“It frightens me because I wonder: do I have the right to represent the multitudes who have perished? Do I have the right to accept this great honor on their behalf? … I do not. That would be presumptuous. No one may speak for the dead, no one may interpret their mutilated dreams and visions.”
“I have tried to keep memory alive, that I have tried to fight those who would forget. Because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices. We could not prevent their deaths the first time, but if we forget them they will be killed a second time. And this time, it will be our responsibility.”
“…That is why I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
“One person…one person of integrity, can make a difference, a difference of life and death. As long as one dissident is in prison, our freedom will not be true. As long as one child is hungry, our lives will be filled with anguish and shame. What all these victims need above all is to know that they are not alone; that we are not forgetting them, that when their voices are stifled we shall lend them ours, that while their freedom depends on ours, the quality of our freedom depends on theirs.” (From Elie Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize acceptance speech)
Hearing such words stirs my very soul. Even though Mr. Wiesel is dead, his words still move me to tears at times. I don’t ever want to come across as just a ‘keyboard warrior’, but words are powerful. Words are important. There are times in history where words are the only appropriate response. This is one of those times.
All lives matter and are important. This applies all of the time. I want to say as clearly as possible that we can take about politics, we can talk about religion, and disagree all we like. That’s not my problem. What is my problem is when cowardly, barbaric individuals have the sheer gall, to actually spray paint swastikas in public areas (or even worse, on the homes of Jewish people) or dare to make hateful/bitter comments to people they don’t even know. People bullying other people online has been going on for years, it isn’t new or noteworthy. Yet, I think that we’ve all become so desensitized to cyber bullying, we’ve almost accepted it as ‘normal’. Words do matter. Especially when a a time like this, there are those who insist on claiming the ‘Holocaust was a hoax’ and ‘Hitler was right’! Admittedly, a lot of this is probably just snot-nosed punks, listening to gangster rap, thinking it makes them so brave and cool to play keyboard warrior. It doesn’t make things any better.
I’m writing this as Hanukah comes to an end. Personally I’ve never celebrated the holiday and I don’t care to. I was dismayed to see that hundreds of Jewish families in America are hiding their children during the holiday, afraid that some harm might come to hem. This is America, my country, my home. This should never happen. As imperfect as America is, it should still be the place where you can walk freely. Where you can practice your religion, freely and openly, without any fear. I’m not Jewish, there are aspects of Judaism I don’t agree with, but I still believe in religious freedom, even for those I don’t agree with.
Over the next few posts I’m going to be writing about the issue of anti-semitism. My hope is that at least one person who thinks that engaging in such spiteful and vile acts, will read what I’ve written and be ashamed. I hope that I can stop even just one person from engaging in these cruel acts. We’ll talk about history, we’ll talk about the present and the future as well. This is an important time in human history, and for the rest of our lives, you and I will always remember how we responded to this. You can make your own decision. As for me, I want to remember that I spoke up for the defenseless.
