Where Do You Stand?

Elie Wiesel was a Jewish author, philosopher, humanist and holocaust survivor, who made it his life's work to bear witness to the genocide committed by the Nazis during World War II.  Wiesel was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1986. 
 
In his acceptance speech, Wiesel spoke blistering truths that must never be forgotten; truths that speak to the trauma American citizens and our immigrant neighbors are experiencing today at the hand of federal ICE agents and our 47th president.
 
At the beginning of his speech, Wiesel recalled his childhood experience of the concentration camp. He recalled asking the question: “Can this be true? This is the twentieth century, not the Middle Ages. Who would allow such crimes to be committed?”
 
When I reflect on Trump’s second term and the harm, he and his immigration and customs enforcement has wrought on American citizens and our immigrant neighbors, and when I witness the murder of American citizens by employees of the federal government, I too wonder: “Can this be true?”  This is the United States of America, the home of the free, the land of the brave, not 1940 Nazi Germany.  The inhumane madness caused by Trump and his ICE thugs must stop!
 
Wiesel continues reflecting on his childhood memory and asks yet another question: “How could the world remain silent?”
 
That haunting question compelled Wiesel to spend his life reminding the world of the atrocity and acts of violence inflicted on humanity by Hitler, knowing if the world ever forgot, history could repeat itself. In his speech Wiesel explained how he swore to himself to “never be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation.” And then he spoke the words that challenges everyone to speak out against evil and injustice anywhere and everywhere it presents itself:
 
“We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, never the tormented. Sometimes we must interfere. When human lives are endangered, when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Wherever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must – at that moment – become the center of the universe.”
 
Today, Minneapolis is the center of the universe. And, everyone must take a side. I’m writing this blog to let it be known where I stand:  I stand with Renee Good.  I stand with Alex Pretti. I stand with the people of Minnesota who are protesting peacefully for law and order, fairness and decency, peace and justice.  I stand with my black and brown brothers and sisters and my neighbors who live in fear that their accent or the hue of their skin will draw the attention of ICE thugs and their persecution.  I stand with the children who are detained by ICE and separated from their parents. And I stand with my immigrant neighbors who have hopes and dreams of living their lives in place that once stood for freedom, safety, and peace.
I stand against Trump and his hateful propaganda that demonizes our immigrant neighbors and anyone who opposes his political agenda.  I stand against ICE and their unlawful actions and procedures.
 
Where do you stand? 
 
If you stand against brutality, injustice, and the unlawful actions of ICE in Minneapolis, now is the time to let your voice be heard.
 

​BE AN UPSTANDER NOT A BYSTANDER

​When reflecting on times in history when extreme violence was perpetrated on humanity, such as Hitler’s genocide of the Jewish population, historians generally place people in five categories: resistors, rescuers, upstanders, bystanders, and perpetrators.  It is an eye-opening exercise to review how those categories were played out during the holocaust.
 
Resistors & Rescuers:  It is estimated that fewer than one thousand people acted as resistors or rescuers during the holocaust.  Fear of incarceration or death, prevented a larger number of people from taking action to resist the Third Reich or attempt to rescue people from harm. 
 
Perpetrators: According to historians, less than 3 percent of Germany’s population was actively involved in the holocaust.  Even though the perpetrators were a small percentage of the whole, they were in positions of power and controlled the propaganda. The extreme and horrifying violence this small percent exercised on the population is hard to fantom. But it happened and it can happen again.  I will never understand how those among their ranks, who thought of themselves as Christian, could do what they did and sleep at peace through the night.   
 
Bystanders: The sad but true reality is that 90 percent of Germany’s population were bystanders. They did nothing. Maybe fear kept them silent. Perhaps the feeling of helplessness or the feeling of powerlessness kept them from taking action. Both are understandable reasons for inertia. But Wiesel shines a light on a more troubling reason for the passivity of bystanders, he names it as indifference.  For the world to remember and learn from the Holocaust was Elie Wiesel's primary agenda. The primary lesson he desired for everyone to learn is the importance of fighting indifference. We must resist the attitude that “it's no concern of mine”. If our struggle is for peace, we must struggle against indifference. According to Wiesel, “The opposite of love is not hate, but indifference”.
 
Upstanders: I have read there were a few moments early in Hitler’s rise to power when his regime feared the resistance. It leaves me wondering, if more people, in those decisive moments of history, made to choice to be an upstander, would they have prevented the holocaust?  The same question is relevant today.

HOW TO BE AN UPSTANDER

If being a resistor or a rescuer is not your thing, or if walking the streets in protest is not something you value or see yourself doing, find a way to let your voice and your life stand with our brothers and sisters who are being unlawfully treated and unlawfully deported. Let your voice shout out against the murder of American citizens who are exercising their constitutional right to protest. Seek the truth and stand against the propaganda that is being forced down our throats.
 
Here are a few suggestions on how to be a upstander:
 

• Write a social media post and share your concern. 
• Write your senators and congressman.
• Search out and support political leaders who refrain from demonizing their political opponents. We need leaders who are concerned for all of us, especially the poor and the marginalized.  
• Dig deeper than the propaganda you here on our news channels.  We’ve witnessed first-hand how untruthful some of our leaders can be.
• Be informed of local groups in your community that are organizing to resist ICE. Add your name to their role.
• Participate in organized boycotts.
• If local groups are protesting in your corner of the country, and that’s not your thing, bake some cookies, make some hot-chocolate, and send some blankets to help encourage their effort.
• Ask questions and listen to your family and friends who think differently than you about this moment in history.  But find the courage to let them know where you stand.
• Stand on a street corner with a few friends, light a candle on behalf of those who have given their lives in Minnesota, and say a prayer asking for God’s mercy.
• Let love be your guide. Resist indifference.