we must shout, "No! We remember"
I just watched the Oprah special, "Auschwitz: Death Camp" with ellie weisel.
It was, I am sure a surprise to no one, indescribable. I know sometimes with tragic events, we walk this thin line between the beliefs of wanting to stop seeing the imagery or hearing the stories because it is thought to be excessive, and always needing to be reminded. I am of the side of the fence that thinks having access to that sort of emotion, however unpleasant, is necessary. We should never be disconnected from life--past or present-- for reasons of uncomfortableness.
The show, which was primarily interactions between Oprah and Mr. Weisel, also comfirmed my belief that Oprah IS doing what she can. It is easy for me to say she can be doing more when I see her shows about puppies or white trash meth addicts of middle america. Lately, however, I have focused a lot more on her donations and programs she has set up,and the shows challenging the marginalization of women or the inequity in education.
When Oprah and the survivor were looking over the tons of human hair (or was it shoes...they're each so surreal that it blurs together), they spoke about being so angry that they cannot do enough to stop the injustices in the world. And I thought about all of the things I have seen Oprah do, and the things that she does silently, and I listened to the survivor speak of how he feels like such a failure to have published 49 books, won a Nobel Peace Prize, and still not be able to stop everything.......and it made sense to me. Neither one of them stops what they are doing because it isn't enough ( and wow on the scheme of things I think they do a very great much). It made me hopeful.
Some (not direct) quotes that stood out:
Language has been an obstacle because there exist no words to describe what went on here.
In those times, it was human to be inhuman (his explanation of how humans, not devils, made this possible)
Because I suffered, i do not accept when others suffer. It makes me stand up to their suffering.
It was, I am sure a surprise to no one, indescribable. I know sometimes with tragic events, we walk this thin line between the beliefs of wanting to stop seeing the imagery or hearing the stories because it is thought to be excessive, and always needing to be reminded. I am of the side of the fence that thinks having access to that sort of emotion, however unpleasant, is necessary. We should never be disconnected from life--past or present-- for reasons of uncomfortableness.
The show, which was primarily interactions between Oprah and Mr. Weisel, also comfirmed my belief that Oprah IS doing what she can. It is easy for me to say she can be doing more when I see her shows about puppies or white trash meth addicts of middle america. Lately, however, I have focused a lot more on her donations and programs she has set up,and the shows challenging the marginalization of women or the inequity in education.
When Oprah and the survivor were looking over the tons of human hair (or was it shoes...they're each so surreal that it blurs together), they spoke about being so angry that they cannot do enough to stop the injustices in the world. And I thought about all of the things I have seen Oprah do, and the things that she does silently, and I listened to the survivor speak of how he feels like such a failure to have published 49 books, won a Nobel Peace Prize, and still not be able to stop everything.......and it made sense to me. Neither one of them stops what they are doing because it isn't enough ( and wow on the scheme of things I think they do a very great much). It made me hopeful.
Some (not direct) quotes that stood out:
Language has been an obstacle because there exist no words to describe what went on here.
In those times, it was human to be inhuman (his explanation of how humans, not devils, made this possible)
Because I suffered, i do not accept when others suffer. It makes me stand up to their suffering.