Towards the middle of his speech, Wiesel begins to talk about how the American government showed merciless indifference toward the murdering of Jews in concentration camps. He begins by complimenting the "illustrious occupant of the White House", Franklin Delano Roosevelt and the fact that, at the time, it was the 54th anniversary of his death. Why does Wiesel begin this topic with complimenting the very man that turned his head when an entire race of people cried for help? Why does he state that Mr. Roosevelt was a "good leader" instead of beginning with the flaw in his name? Why does he, very briefly, applaud a former president when, because of him, nearly 1,000 Jews dies when he turned back the human cargo back to where they were running
