-the perils of indifference-

精品文档2016全新精品资料全新公文范文全程指导写作独家原创1/11“THEPERILSOFINDIFFERENCE”ELIEWIESEL“THEPERILSOFINDIFFERENCE”MRPRESIDENT,MRSCLINTON,MEMBERSOFCONGRESS,AMBASSADORHOLBROOKE,EXCELLENCIES,FRIENDSFIFTYFOURYEARSAGOTOTHEDAY,AYOUNGJEWISHBOYFROMASMALLTOWNINTHECARPATHIANMOUNTAINSWOKEUP,NOTFARFROMGOETHESBELOVEDWEIMAR,INAPLACEOFETERNALINFAMYCALLEDBUCHENWALDHEWASFINALLYFREE,BUTTHEREWASNOJOYINHISHEARTHETHOUGHTTHERENEVERWOULDBEAGAINLIBERATEDADAYEARLIERBYAMERICANSOLDIERS,HEREMEMBERSTHEIRRAGEATWHATTHEYSAWANDEVENIFHELIVESTOBEAVERYOLDMAN,HEWILLALWAYSBEGRATEFULTOTHEMFORTHATRAGE,ANDALSOFORTHEIRCOMPASSIONTHOUGHHEDIDNOTUNDERSTANDTHEIRLANGUAGE,THEIREYESTOLDHIMWHATHENEEDEDTOKNOWTHATTHEY,TOO,WOULDREMEMBER,ANDBEARWITNESSANDNOW,ISTANDBEFOREYOU,MRPRESIDENTCOMMANDERINCHIEFOFTHEARMYTHATFREEDME,ANDTENSOFTHOUSANDSOFOTHERSANDIAMFILLEDWITH精品文档2016全新精品资料全新公文范文全程指导写作独家原创2/11APROFOUNDANDABIDINGGRATITUDETOTHEAMERICANPEOPLEGRATITUDEISAWORDTHATICHERISHGRATITUDEISWHATDEFINESTHEHUMANITYOFTHEHUMANBEINGANDIAMGRATEFULTOYOU,HILLARY,ORMRSCLINTON,FORWHATYOUSAID,ANDFORWHATYOUAREDOINGFORCHILDRENINTHEWORLD,FORTHEHOMELESS,FORTHEVICTIMSOFINJUSTICE,THEVICTIMSOFDESTINYANDSOCIETYANDITHANKALLOFYOUFORBEINGHEREWEAREONTHETHRESHOLDOFANEWCENTURY,ANEWMILLENNIUMWHATWILLTHELEGACYOFTHISVANISHINGCENTURYBEHOWWILLITBEREMEMBEREDINTHENEWMILLENNIUMSURELYITWILLBEJUDGED,ANDJUDGEDSEVERELY,INBOTHMORALANDMETAPHYSICALTERMSTHESEFAILURESHAVECASTADARKSHADOWOVERHUMANITYTWOWORLDWARS,COUNTLESSCIVILWARS,THESENSELESSCHAINOFASSASSINATIONSGANDHI,THEKENNEDYS,MARTINLUTHERKING,SADAT,RABIN,BLOODBATHSINCAMBODIAANDNIGERIA,INDIAANDPAKISTAN,IRELANDANDRWANDA,ERITREAANDETHIOPIA,SARAJEVOANDKOSOVOTHEINHUMANITYINTHEGULAGANDTHETRAGEDYOFHIROSHIMAAND,ONADIFFERENT精品文档2016全新精品资料全新公文范文全程指导写作独家原创3/11LEVEL,OFCOURSE,AUSCHWITZANDTREBLINKASOMUCHVIOLENCESOMUCHINDIFFERENCEWHATISINDIFFERENCEETYMOLOGICALLY,THEWORDMEANS“NODIFFERENCE”ASTRANGEANDUNNATURALSTATEINWHICHTHELINESBLURBETWEENLIGHTANDDARKNESS,DUSKANDDAWN,CRIMEANDPUNISHMENT,CRUELTYANDCOMPASSION,GOODANDEVILWHATAREITSCOURSESANDINESCAPABLECONSEQUENCESISITAPHILOSOPHYISTHEREAPHILOSOPHYOFINDIFFERENCECONCEIVABLECANONEPOSSIBLYVIEWINDIFFERENCEASAVIRTUEISITNECESSARYATTIMESTOPRACTICEITSIMPLYTOKEEPONESSANITY,LIVENORMALLY,ENJOYAFINEMEALANDAGLASSOFWINE,ASTHEWORLDAROUNDUSEXPERIENCESHARROWINGUPHEAVALSOFCOURSE,INDIFFERENCECANBETEMPTINGMORETHANTHAT,SEDUCTIVEITISSOMUCHEASIERTOLOOKAWAYFROMVICTIMSITISSOMUCHEASIERTOAVOIDSUCHRUDEINTERRUPTIONSTOOURWORK,OURDREAMS,OURHOPESITIS,AFTERALL,AWKWARD,TROUBLESOME,TOBEINVOLVEDINANOTHERPERSONSPAINANDDESPAIRYET,FORTHEPERSONWHOIS精品文档2016全新精品资料全新公文范文全程指导写作独家原创4/11INDIFFERENT,HISORHERNEIGHBORAREOFNOCONSEQUENCEAND,THEREFORE,THEIRLIVESAREMEANINGLESSTHEIRHIDDENOREVENVISIBLEANGUISHISOFNOINTERESTINDIFFERENCEREDUCESTHEOTHERTOANABSTRACTIONOVERTHERE,BEHINDTHEBLACKGATESOFAUSCHWITZ,THEMOSTTRAGICOFALLPRISONERSWERETHE“MUSELMANNER,”ASTHEYWERECALLEDWRAPPEDINTHEIRTORNBLANKETS,THEYWOULDSITORLIEONTHEGROUND,STARINGVACANTLYINTOSPACE,UNAWAREOFWHOORWHERETHEYWERESTRANGERSTOTHEIRSURROUNDINGSTHEYNOLONGERFELTPAIN,HUNGER,THIRSTTHEYFEAREDNOTHINGTHEYFELTNOTHINGTHEYWEREDEADANDDIDNOTKNOWITROOTEDINOURTRADITION,SOMEOFUSFELTTHATTOBEABANDONEDBYHUMANITYTHENWASNOTTHEULTIMATEWEFELTTHATTOBEABANDONEDBYGODWASWORSETHANTOBEPUNISHEDBYHIMBETTERANUNJUSTGODTHANANINDIFFERENTONEFORUSTOBEIGNOREDBYGODWASAHARSHERPUNISHMENTTHANTOBEAVICTIMOFHISANGERMANCANLIVEFARFROMGODNOTOUTSIDEGODGODISWHEREVERWEAREEVENIN精品文档2016全新精品资料全新公文范文全程指导写作独家原创5/11SUFFERINGEVENINSUFFERINGINAWAY,TOBEINDIFFERENTTOTHATSUFFERINGISWHATMAKESTHEHUMANBEINGINHUMANINDIFFERENCE,AFTERALL,ISMOREDANGEROUSTHANANGERANDHATREDANGERCANATTIMESBECREATIVEONEWRITESAGREATPOEM,AGREATSYMPHONYONEDOESSOMETHINGSPECIALFORTHESAKEOFHUMANITYBECAUSEONEISANGRYATTHEINJUSTICETHATONEWITNESSESBUTINDIFFERENCEISNEVERCREATIVEEVENHATREDATTIMESMAYELICITARESPONSEYOUFIGHTITYOUDENOUNCEITYOUDISARMITINDIFFERENCEELICITSNORESPONSEINDIFFERENCEISNOTARESPONSEINDIFFERENCEISNOTABEGINNINGITISANENDAND,THEREFORE,INDIFFERENCEISALWAYSTHEFRIENDOFTHEENEMY,FORITBENEFITSTHEAGGRESSORNEVERHISVICTIM,WHOSEPAINISMAGNIFIEDWHENHEORSHEFEELSFORGOTTENTHEPOLITICALPRISONERINHISCELL,THEHUNGRYCHILDREN,THEHOMELESSREFUGEESNOTTORESPONDTOTHEIRPLIGHT,NOTTORELIEVETHEIRSOLITUDEBYOFFERINGTHEMASPARKOFHOPEISTOEXILETHEMFROMHUMANMEMORYANDINDENYINGTHEIR精品文档2016全新精品资料全新公文范文全程指导写作独家原创6/11HUMANITY,WEBETRAYOUROWNINDIFFERENCE,THEN,ISNOTONLYASIN,ITISAPUNISHMENTANDTHISISONEOFTHEMOSTIMPORTANTLESSONSOFTHISOUTGOINGCENTURYSWIDERANGINGEXPERIMENTSINGOODANDEVILINTHEPLACETHATICOMEFROM,SOCIETYWASCOMPOSEDOFTHREESIMPLECATEGORIESTHEKILLERS,THEVICTIMS,ANDTHEBYSTANDERSDURINGTHEDARKESTOFTIMES,INSIDETHEGHETTOESANDDEATHCAMPSANDIMGLADTHATMRSCLINTONMENTIONEDTHATWEARENOWCOMMEMORATINGTHATEVENT,THATPERIOD,THATWEARENOWINTHEDAYSOFREMEMBRANCEBUTTHEN,WEFELTABANDONED,FORGOTTENALLOFUSDIDANDOURONLYMISERABLECONSOLATIONWASTHATWEBELIEVEDTHATAUSCHWITZANDTREBLINKAWERECLOSELYGUARDEDSECRETSTHATTHELEADERSOFTHEFREEWORLDDIDNOTKNOWWHATWASGOINGONBEHINDTHOSEBLACKGATESANDBARBEDWIRETHATTHEYHADNOKNOWLEDGEOFTHEWARAGAINSTTHEJEWSTHATHITLERSARMIESANDTHEIRACCOMPLICESWAGEDASPARTOFTHEWARAGAINSTTHEA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