-The Perils of Indifference-.doc

演讲稿 the perils of indifference eliewiesel:theperilsofindifferencemr.president,mrs.clinton,membersofcongress,ambassadorholbrooke,excellencies,friends:fifty-fouryearsagototheday,ayoungjewishboyfromasmalltowninthecarpathianmountainswokeup,notfarfromgoethesbelovedweimar,inaplaceofeternalinfamycalledbuchenwald.hewasfinallyfree,buttherewasnojoyinhisheart.hethoughtthereneverwouldbeagain.liberatedadayearlierbyamericansoldiers,herememberstheirrageatwhattheysaw.andevenifhelivestobeaveryoldman,hewillalwaysbegratefultothemforthatrage,andalsofortheirpassion.thoughhedidnotunderstandtheirlanguage,theireyestoldhimwhatheneededtoknow-thatthey,too,wouldremember,andbearwitness.andnow,istandbeforeyou,mr.president-commander-in-chiefofthearmythatfreedme,andtensofthousandsofothers-andiamfilledwithaprofoundandabidinggratitudetotheamericanpeople.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,indifferencecanbetempting-morethanthat,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,unawareofwhoorwheretheywere-strangerstotheirsurroundings.theynolongerfeltpain,hunger,thirst.theyfearednothing.theyfeltnothing.theyweredeadanddidnotknowit.rootedinourtradition,someofusfeltthattobeabandonedbyhumanitythenwasnottheultimate.wefeltthattobeabandonedbygodwasworsethantobepunishedbyhim.betteranunjustgodthananindifferentone.forustobeignoredbygodwasaharsherpunishmentthantobeavictimofhisanger.mancanlivefarfromgod-notoutsidegod.godiswhereverweare.eveninsuffering?eveninsuffering.inaway,tobeindifferenttothatsufferingiswhatmakesthehumanbeinginhuman.indifference,afterall,ismoredangerousthanangerandhatred.angercanattimesbecreative.onewritesagreatpoem,agreatsymphony.onedoessomethingspecialforthesakeofhumanitybecauseoneisangryattheinjusticethatonewitnesses.butindifferenceisnevercreative.evenhatredattimesmayelicitaresponse.youfightit.youdenounceit.youdisarmit.indifferenceelicitsnoresponse.indifferenceisnotaresponse.indifferenceisnotabeginning;itisanend.and,therefore,indifferenceisalwaysthefriendoftheenemy,foritbenefitstheaggressor-neverhisvictim,whosepainismagnifiedwhenheorshefeelsforgotten.thepoliticalprisonerinhiscell,thehungrychildren,thehomelessrefugees-nottorespondtotheirplight,nottorelievetheirsolitudebyofferingthemasparkofhopeistoexilethemfromhumanmemory.andindenyingtheirhumanity,webetrayourown.indifference,then,isnotonlyasin,itisapunishment.andthisisoneofthemostimportantlessonsofthisoutgoingcenturyswide-rangingexperimentsingoodandevil.intheplacethatiefrom,societywasposedofthreesimplecategories:thekillers,thevictims,andthebystanders.duringthedarkestoftimes,insidetheghettoesanddeathcamps-andimgladthatmrs.clintonmentionedthatwearenowmemoratingthatevent,thatperiod,thatwearenowinthedaysofremembrance-butthen,wefeltabandoned,forgotten.allofusdid.andouronlymiserableconsolationwasthatwebelievedthatauschwitzandtreblinkawerecloselyguardedsecrets;thattheleadersofthefreeworlddidnotknowwhatwasgoingonbehindthoseblackgatesandbarbedwire;thattheyhadnoknowledgeofthewaragainstthejewsthathitlersarmiesandtheiracpliceswagedaspartofthewaragainsttheallies.iftheyknew,wethought,surelythoseleaderswouldhavemovedheavenandearthtointervene.theywouldhavespokenoutwithgreatoutrageandconviction.theywouldhavebombedtherailwaysleadingtobirkenau,justtherailways,justonce.andnowweknew,welearned,wediscoveredthatthepentagonknew,thestatedepartmentknew.andtheillustriousoccupantofthewhitehousethen,whowasagreatleader-andisayitwithsomeanguishandpain,because,todayisexactly54yearsmarkinghisdeath-franklindelanorooseveltdiedonaprilthe12th,1945.soheisverymuchpresenttomeandtous.nodoubt,hewasagreatleader.hemobilizedtheamericanpeopleandtheworld,goingintobattle,bringinghundredsandthousandsofvaliantandbravesoldiersinamericatofightfascism,tofightdictatorship,tofighthitler.andsomanyoftheyoungpeoplefellinbattle.and,nevertheless,hisimageinjewishhistory-imustsayit-hisimageinjewishhistoryisflawed.thedepressingtaleofthest.louisisacaseinpoint.sixtyyearsago,itshumancargo-nearly1,000jews-wasturnedbacktonazigermany.andthathappenedafterthekristallnacht,afterthefirststatesponsoredpogrom,withhundredsofjewishshopsdestroyed,synagoguesburned,thousandsofpeopleputinconcentrationcamps.andthatship,whichwasalreadyintheshoresoftheunitedstates,wassentback.idontunderstand.rooseveltwasagoodman,withaheart.heunderstoodthosewhoneededhelp.whydidntheallowtheserefugeestodisembark?athousandpeople-inamerica,thegreatcountry,thegreatestdemocracy,themostgenerousofallnewnationsinmodernhistory.whathappened?idontunderstand.whytheindifference,onthehighestlevel,tothesufferingofthevictims?butthen,therewerehumanbeingswhoweresensitivetoourtragedy.thosenon-jews,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?arewelessinsensitivetotheplig