1、eliewiesel:theperilsofindifferencemr.president,mrs.clinton,membersofcongress,ambassadorholbrooke,excellencies,friends:fifty-fouryearsagototheday,ayoungjewishboyfromasmalltowninthecarpathianmountainswokeup,notfarfromgoethesbelovedweimar,inaplaceofeternalinfamycalledbuchenwald.hewasfinallyfree,butther
2、ewasnojoyinhisheart.hethoughtthereneverwouldbeagain.liberatedadayearlierbyamericansoldiers,herememberstheirrageatwhattheysaw.andevenifhelivestobeaveryoldman,hewillalwaysbegratefultothemforthatrage,andalsofortheircompassion.thoughhedidnotunderstandtheirlanguage,theireyestoldhimwhatheneededtoknow-that
3、they,too,wouldremember,andbearwitness.andnow,istandbeforeyou,mr.president-commander-in-chiefofthearmythatfreedme,andtensofthousandsofothers-andiamfilledwithaprofoundandabidinggratitudetotheamericanpeople.gratitudeisawordthaticherish.gratitudeiswhatdefinesthehumanityofthehumanbeing.andiamgratefultoyo
4、u,hillary,ormrs.clinton,forwhatyousaid,andforwhatyouaredoingforchildrenintheworld,forthehomeless,forthevictimsofinjustice,thevictimsofdestinyandsociety.andithankallofyouforbeinghere.weareonthethresholdofanewcentury,anewmillennium.whatwillthelegacyofthisvanishingcenturybe?howwillitberememberedinthene
5、wmillennium?surelyitwillbejudged,andjudgedseverely,inbothmoralandmetaphysicalterms.thesefailureshavecastadarkshadowoverhumanity:twoworldwars,countlesscivilwars,thesenselesschainofassassinations(gandhi,thekennedys,martinlutherking,sadat,rabin),bloodbathsincambodiaandnigeria,indiaandpakistan,irelandan
6、drwanda,eritreaandethiopia,sarajevoandkosovo;theinhumanityinthegulagandthetragedyofhiroshima.and,onadifferentlevel,ofcourse,auschwitzandtreblinka.somuchviolence;somuchindifference.whatisindifference?etymologically,thewordmeansnodifference.astrangeandunnaturalstateinwhichthelinesblurbetweenlightandda
7、rkness,duskanddawn,crimeandpunishment,crueltyandcompassion,goodandevil.whatareitscoursesandinescapableconsequences?isitaphilosophy?isthereaphilosophyofindifferenceconceivable?canonepossiblyviewindifferenceasavirtue?isitnecessaryattimestopracticeitsimplytokeeponessanity,livenormally,enjoyafinemealand
8、aglassofwine,astheworldaroundusexperiencesharrowingupheavals?ofcourse,indifferencecanbetempting-morethanthat,seductive.itissomucheasiertolookawayfromvictims.itissomucheasiertoavoidsuchrudeinterruptionstoourwork,ourdreams,ourhopes.itis,afterall,awkward,troublesome,tobeinvolvedinanotherpersonspainandd
9、espair.yet,forthepersonwhoisindifferent,hisorherneighborareofnoconsequence.and,therefore,theirlivesaremeaningless.theirhiddenorevenvisibleanguishisofnointerest.indifferencereducestheothertoanabstraction.overthere,behindtheblackgatesofauschwitz,themosttragicofallprisonerswerethemuselmanner,astheywere
10、called.wrappedintheirtornblankets,theywouldsitorlieontheground,staringvacantlyintospace,unawareofwhoorwheretheywere-strangerstotheirsurroundings.theynolongerfeltpain,hunger,thirst.theyfearednothing.theyfeltnothing.theyweredeadanddidnotknowit.rootedinourtradition,someofusfeltthattobeabandonedbyhumani
11、tythenwasnottheultimate.wefeltthattobeabandonedbygodwasworsethantobepunishedbyhim.betteranunjustgodthananindifferentone.forustobeignoredbygodwasaharsherpunishmentthantobeavictimofhisanger.mancanlivefarfromgod-notoutsidegod.godiswhereverweare.eveninsuffering?eveninsuffering.inaway,tobeindifferenttoth
12、atsufferingiswhatmakesthehumanbeinginhuman.indifference,afterall,ismoredangerousthanangerandhatred.angercanattimesbecreative.onewritesagreatpoem,agreatsymphony.onedoessomethingspecialforthesakeofhumanitybecauseoneisangryattheinjusticethatonewitnesses.butindifferenceisnevercreative.evenhatredattimesm
13、ayelicitaresponse.youfightit.youdenounceit.youdisarmit.indifferenceelicitsnoresponse.indifferenceisnotaresponse.indifferenceisnotabeginning;itisanend.and,therefore,indifferenceisalwaysthefriendoftheenemy,foritbenefitstheaggressor-neverhisvictim,whosepainismagnifiedwhenheorshefeelsforgotten.thepoliti
14、calprisonerinhiscell,thehungrychildren,thehomelessrefugees-nottorespondtotheirplight,nottorelievetheirsolitudebyofferingthemasparkofhopeistoexilethemfromhumanmemory.andindenyingtheirhumanity,webetrayourown.indifference,then,isnotonlyasin,itisapunishment.andthisisoneofthemostimportantlessonsofthisout
15、goingcenturyswide-rangingexperimentsingoodandevil.intheplacethaticomefrom,societywascomposedofthreesimplecategories:thekillers,thevictims,andthebystanders.duringthedarkestoftimes,insidetheghettoesanddeathcamps-andimgladthatmrs.clintonmentionedthatwearenowcommemoratingthatevent,thatperiod,thatweareno
16、winthedaysofremembrance-butthen,wefeltabandoned,forgotten.allofusdid.andouronlymiserableconsolationwasthatwebelievedthatauschwitzandtreblinkawerecloselyguardedsecrets;thattheleadersofthefreeworlddidnotknowwhatwasgoingonbehindthoseblackgatesandbarbedwire;thattheyhadnoknowledgeofthewaragainstthejewsthathitlersarmiesandtheiraccompliceswage
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