Wisdom from Elie Wiesel

     The time will come when the last Holocaust survivor passes away. Then there will be no one to refute the deniers and haters by saying, "I was there!" Elie Wiesel died on Saturday, 2 July. One can say that we have not progressed as much as we should, in spite of Wiesel and others reminding us about genocide and hatred. Anti-semitism has not ended, nor has genocide.

     I knew someone who had to flee his boyhood home in what is now Poland as World War II ended. This person firmly believed that no German soldier would ever commit an atrocity. He became an American citizen, but held on to his opinions. When Wiesel won the Nobel Peace Prize  (which

infuriated this person) , we had several conversations in which I tried to persuade him that there had been atrocities. In the long run, I was unsuccessful, but at least I said what he needed to hear. I hope that later on he came to accept that.    

     However, that does not mean that we stop confronting the hatred, the prejudice, and their evil fruits. If we stop, then evil wins. I firmly believe that evil has lost the big battle, and his fighting on to the bitter end. for my part, I want to deprive evil of its ebbing power.

     I hope that you do as well. Below some links to Wiesel's funeral service and some of his many quotes.


http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/e/elie_wiesel.html

http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2016/07/03/elie-wiesel-remembered-private-service/86655480/