Silence means forgetting. Avoiding a lesson, denying the truth, means failing to learn from past mistakes. As seen in the novel Night by Elie Wiesel, the Holocaust is a tragic event that took place in human history. The word Holocaust is of Greek origin, meaning “sacrifice by fire” (memorial council 1). This event begs to be forgotten due to the inability of people to face the harsh realities taking place during this time period in the 1940s. Normal civilians were aware of the cattle cars transporting Jews to their unknown fate, yet they failed to speak up. Now, people continue doing these things every day. One is capable of gaining an abundance of wisdom from the Holocaust, such as how simple it is to allow hate to manifest, how difficult
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That concept is false and is created by the illusion that as people, we can do no wrong. In reality, events similar to the Holocaust are taking place every day. Some things happen on a more minor scale, such as when children belittle other children, while other things are much more serious. Throughout the planet, humans are continually being more oppressed than they are free (Wiesel 119). In India, a gendercide is underway, which is a term referring to the killing off of a particular gender. Males are valued more highly than females, so women are willing to kill their newborn daughters in hope of having a son. Terror attacks are becoming more and more frequent and since “human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere”, people all over the world are beginning to live in fear (Wiesel 119). Homosexuals and African Americans are continually being targeted, proving that the world has a long way to go before it truly reaches equality. Remembering the Holocaust can be society’s first step in learning how to deal with the hate that will in some way, always remain “because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices” (Wiesel 118). Forgetting events in history that can teach one a valuable lesson, is simply ignoring the truth, remaining silent, and allowing these terrible things to happen all over …show more content…
People now and generations to come must realize the importance of keeping the Holocaust in one’s memory. As one gazes into what the Holocaust really means, the dangers of silence and hate become clear. The Holocaust is a message to everyone that hate is a poison and has the ability to infect anything in its path. Silence is a quiet killer that can easily taint the goodness and make it replete with fear. Most importantly, the Holocaust teaches that although everyone is different, everyone is also human, and as long as this is known, the world can be transformed into a better
That concept is false and is created by the illusion that as people, we can do no wrong. In reality, events similar to the Holocaust are taking place every day. Some things happen on a more minor scale, such as when children belittle other children, while other things are much more serious. Throughout the planet, humans are continually being more oppressed than they are free (Wiesel 119). In India, a gendercide is underway, which is a term referring to the killing off of a particular gender. Males are valued more highly than females, so women are willing to kill their newborn daughters in hope of having a son. Terror attacks are becoming more and more frequent and since “human suffering anywhere concerns men and women everywhere”, people all over the world are beginning to live in fear (Wiesel 119). Homosexuals and African Americans are continually being targeted, proving that the world has a long way to go before it truly reaches equality. Remembering the Holocaust can be society’s first step in learning how to deal with the hate that will in some way, always remain “because if we forget, we are guilty, we are accomplices” (Wiesel 118). Forgetting events in history that can teach one a valuable lesson, is simply ignoring the truth, remaining silent, and allowing these terrible things to happen all over …show more content…
People now and generations to come must realize the importance of keeping the Holocaust in one’s memory. As one gazes into what the Holocaust really means, the dangers of silence and hate become clear. The Holocaust is a message to everyone that hate is a poison and has the ability to infect anything in its path. Silence is a quiet killer that can easily taint the goodness and make it replete with fear. Most importantly, the Holocaust teaches that although everyone is different, everyone is also human, and as long as this is known, the world can be transformed into a better