＂ThePerilsofIndifference＂.doc

ThePerilsofIndifference ElieWiesel:ThePerilsofIndifference Mr.President,Mrs.Clinton,membersofCongress,AmbassadorHolbrooke,Excellencies,friends: Fiftyfouryearsagototheday,ayoungJewishboyfromasmalltownintheCarpathianMountainswokeup,notfarfromGoethesbelovedWeimar,inaplaceofeternalinfamycalledBuchenwald.Hewasfinallyfree,buttherewasnojoyinhisheart.Hethoughtthereneverwouldbeagain.LiberatedadayearlierbyAmericansoldiers,herememberstheirrageatwhattheysaw.Andevenifhelivestobeaveryoldman,hewillalwaysbegratefultothemforthatrage,andalsofortheirpassion.Thoughhedidnotunderstandtheirlanguage,theireyestoldhimwhatheneededtoknowthatthey,too,wouldremember,andbearwitness. Andnow,Istandbeforeyou,Mr.PresidentCommanderinChiefofthearmythatfreedme,andtensofthousandsofothersandIamfilledwithaprofoundandabidinggratitudetotheAmericanpeople.GratitudeisawordthatIcherish.Gratitudeiswhatdefinesthehumanityofthehumanbeing.AndIamgratefultoyou,Hillary,orMrs.Clinton,forwhatyousaid,andforwhatyouaredoingforchildrenintheworld,forthehomeless,forthevictimsofinjustice,thevictimsofdestinyandsociety.AndIthankallofyouforbeinghere. Weareonthethresholdofanewcentury,anewmillennium.Whatwillthelegacyofthisvanishingcenturybe?Howwillitberememberedinthenewmillennium?Surelyitwillbejudged,andjudgedseverely,inbothmoralandmetaphysicalterms.Thesefailureshavecastadarkshadowoverhumanity:twoWorldWars,countlesscivilwars,thesenselesschainofassassinations(Gandhi,theKennedys,MartinLutherKing,Sadat,Rabin),bloodbathsinCambodiaandNigeria,IndiaandPakistan,IrelandandRwanda,EritreaandEthiopia,SarajevoandKosovo;theinhumanityinthegulagandthetragedyofHiroshima.And,onadifferentlevel,ofcourse,AuschwitzandTreblinka.Somuchviolence;somuchindifference. Whatisindifference?Etymologically,thewordmeansnodifference.Astrangeandunnaturalstateinwhichthelinesblurbetweenlightanddarkness,duskanddawn,crimeandpunishment,crueltyandpassion,goodandevil.Whatareitscoursesandinescapableconsequences?Isitaphilosophy?Isthereaphilosophyofindifferenceconceivable?Canonepossiblyviewindifferenceasavirtue?Isitnecessaryattimestopracticeitsimplytokeeponessanity,livenormally,enjoyafinemealandaglassofwine,astheworldaroundusexperiencesharrowingupheavals? Ofcourse,indifferencecanbetemptingmorethanthat,seductive.Itissomucheasiertolookawayfromvictims.Itissomucheasiertoavoidsuchrudeinterruptionstoourwork,ourdreams,ourhopes.Itis,afterall,awkward,troublesome,tobeinvolvedinanotherpersonspainanddespair.Yet,forthepersonwhoisindifferent,hisorherneighborareofnoconsequence.And,therefore,theirlivesaremeaningless.Theirhiddenorevenvisibleanguishisofnointerest.IndifferencereducestheOthertoanabstraction. Overthere,behindtheblackgatesofAuschwitz,themosttragicofallprisonersweretheMuselmanner,astheywerecalled.Wrappedintheirtornblankets,theywouldsitorlieontheground,staringvacantlyintospace,unawareofwhoorwheretheywerestrangerstotheirsurroundings.Theynolongerfeltpain,hunger,thirst.Theyfearednothing.Theyfeltnothing.Theyweredeadanddidnotknowit. Rootedinourtradition,someofusfeltthattobeabandonedbyhumanitythenwasnottheultimate.WefeltthattobeabandonedbyGodwasworsethantobepunishedbyHim.BetteranunjustGodthananindifferentone.ForustobeignoredbyGodwasaharsherpunishmentthantobeavictimofHisanger.MancanlivefarfromGodnotoutsideGod.Godiswhereverweare.Eveninsuffering?Eveninsuffering. Inaway,tobeindifferenttothatsufferingiswhatmakesthehumanbeinginhuman.Indifference,afterall,ismoredangerousthanangerandhatred.Angercanattimesbecreative.Onewritesagreatpoem,agreatsymphony.Onedoessomethingspecialforthesakeofhumanitybecauseoneisangryattheinjusticethatonewitnesses.Butindifferenceisnevercreative.Evenhatredattimesmayelicitaresponse.Youfightit.Youdenounceit.Youdisarmit. Indifferenceelicitsnoresponse.Indifferenceisnotaresponse.Indifferenceisnotabeginning;itisanend.And,therefore,indifferenceisalwaysthefriendoftheenemy,foritbenefitstheaggressorneverhisvictim,whosepainismagnifiedwhenheorshefeelsforgotten.Thepoliticalprisonerinhiscell,thehungrychildren,thehomelessrefugeesnottorespondtotheirplight,nottorelievetheirsolitudebyofferingthemasparkofhopeistoexilethemfromhumanmemory.Andindenyingtheirhumanity,webetrayourown. Indifference,then,isnotonlyasin,itisapunishment. Andthisisoneofthemostimportantlessonsofthisoutgoingcenturyswiderangingexperimentsingoodandevil. IntheplacethatIefrom,societywasposedofthreesimplecategories:thekillers,thevictims,andthebystanders.Duringthedarkestoftimes,insidetheghettoesanddeathcampsandImgladthatMrs.Clintonmentionedthatwearenowmemoratingthatevent,thatperiod,thatwearenowintheDaysofRemembrancebutthen,wefeltabandoned,forgotten.Allofusdid. AndouronlymiserableconsolationwasthatwebelievedthatAuschwitzandTreblinkawerecloselyguardedsecrets;thattheleadersofthefreeworlddidnotknowwhatwasgoingonbehindthoseblackgatesandbarbedwire;thattheyhadnoknowledgeofthewaragainsttheJewsthatHitlersarmiesandtheiracpliceswagedaspartofthewaragainsttheAllies.Iftheyknew,wethought,surelythoseleaderswouldhavemovedheavenandearthtointervene.Theywouldhavespokenoutwithgreatoutrageandconviction.TheywouldhavebombedtherailwaysleadingtoBirkenau,justtherailways,justonce. Andnowweknew,welearned,wediscoveredthatthePentagonknew,theStateDepartmentknew.AndtheillustriousoccupantoftheWhiteHousethen,whowasagreatleaderandIsayitwithsomeanguishandpain,because,todayisexactly54yearsmarkinghisdeathFranklinDelanoRooseveltdiedonAprilthe12th,1945.Soheisverymuchpresenttomeandtous.Nodoubt,hewasagreatleader.HemobilizedtheAmericanpeopleandtheworld,goingintobattle,bringinghundredsandthousandsofvaliantandbravesoldiersinAmericatofightfascism,tofightdictatorship,tofightHitler.Andsomanyoftheyoungpeoplefellinbattle.And,nevertheless,hisimageinJewishhistoryImustsayithisimageinJewishhistoryisflawed. ThedepressingtaleoftheSt.Louisisacaseinpoint.Sixtyyearsago,itshumancargonearly1,000JewswasturnedbacktoNaziGermany.AndthathappenedaftertheKristallnacht,afterthefirststatesponsoredpogrom,withhundredsofJewishshopsdestroyed,synagoguesburned,thousandsofpeopleputinconcentrationcamps.Andthatship,whichwasalreadyintheshoresoftheUnitedStates,wassentback.Idontunderstand.Rooseveltwasagoodman,withaheart.Heunderstoodthosewhoneededhelp.Whydidntheallowtheserefugeestodisembark?AthousandpeopleinAmerica,thegreatcountry,thegreatestdemocracy,themostgenerousofallnewnationsinmodernhistory.Whathappened?Idontunderstand.Whytheindifference,onthehighestlevel,tothesufferingofthevictims? Butthen,therewerehumanbeingswhoweresensitivetoourtragedy.ThosenonJews,thoseChristians,thatwecalltheRighteousGentiles,whoseselflessactsofheroismsavedthehonoroftheirfaith.Whyweretheysofew?WhywasthereagreaterefforttosaveSSmurderersafterthewarthantosavetheirvictimsduringthewar?WhydidsomeofAmericaslargestcorporationscontinuetodobusinesswithHitlersGermanyuntil1942?Ithasbeensuggested,anditwasdocumented,thattheWehrmachtcouldnothaveconducteditsinvasionofFrancewithoutoilobtainedfromAmericansources.Howisonetoexplaintheirindifference? Andyet,myfriends,goodthingshavealsohappenedinthistraumaticcentury:thedefeatofNazism,thecollapseofmunism,therebirthofIsraelonitsancestralsoil,thedemiseofapartheid,IsraelspeacetreatywithEgypt,thepeaceaccordinIreland.Andletusrememberthemeeting,filledwithdramaandemotion,betweenRabinandArafatthatyou,Mr.President,convenedinthisveryplace.IwashereandIwillneverforgetit. Andthen,ofcourse,thejointdecisionoftheUnitedStatesandNATOtointerveneinKosovoandsavethosevictims,thoserefugees,thosewhowereuprootedbyaman,whomIbelievethatbecauseofhiscrimes,shouldbechargedwithcrimesagainsthumanity. Butthistime,theworldwasnotsilent.Thistime,wedorespond.Thistime,weintervene. Doesitmeanthatwehavelearnedfromthepast?Doesitmeanthatsocietyhaschanged?Hasthehumanbeingbeelessindifferentandmorehuman?Havewereallylearnedfromourexperiences?Arewelessinsensitivetotheplighto