Moccasins That Just Don't Fit

“Don't judge any man until you have walked two moons in his moccasins”~ Native American Proverb

Moccasins That Just Don’t Fit

The voice is a nagging child,
trying to pull you into its dark,
twisted,
realm of thought.
‘Join our bandwagon of cultural ignorance’,
it calls to me.
‘Never!’ I cry.
Why should girls like pink,
and boys like blue,
is this not completely askew?
Like a built-in mental disorder,
a continental divide,
it continues,
spreading lies,
and opinionated false beliefs.
Prejudice is a contagious disease,
spreadable by close contact.
Never,
will I travel so close as to become what some call,
Severely Biased.

By- Sonja & Cindy :)

The Road Not Taken

           

           The world has evolved so much since its previous days, but it wouldn't have been possible if people didn't stand up for their rights. Everybody-- it doesn't matter who or what you are, should be entitled to rights. And that's why standing up for yourself, is so important. Because, if you don't stand up for yourself, who will? It's by standing up, that you make a difference. It may seem small, but what I've realized, is that small actions can go a long way.

           Clara Barton is an inspirational woman, and is one of my favorite heroes. But what is so important about her, is her selflessness and her sense of duty to those in need. Which made her a very capable and compassionate nurse. It took a lot of bravery to be a nurse in the Civil War. But the journey didn't stop for Clara Barton. In 1869, in Geneva, Switzerland, she was introduced to the Red Cross. And it was there, that she began to believe in the possibility of an American Red Cross. But not many people agreed to this idea. Clara persevered, and finally in 1882, President Chester Arthur accepted and the American Red Cross was born. With Clara Barton as its' founder and leader, the American Red Cross thrived. Clara Barton is a great example of a person who stood up not only for her rights the right to create an organization; but for other's rights, the right to have well-functioning aid system. Perseverance and self-advocacy go hand in hand. You need perseverance, because the first time you stand up, people might be reluctant to listen, but you should keep standing up, because as you keep speaking, more people will start to listen.

               In 7th Grade, Mr. Peters, showed us a video on Youtube. It's a very famous video, but not for any random reason. It's because of what this particular man did, and its' impact worldwide. He is referred to as Tank Man or The Unknown Rebel because of what he did. In 1989 there were protests in Tiananmen Square, Beijing; and the Chinese government decided to put an end to them. So on June 5th, 1989- the tanks started to roll in, but they were met with an obstacle. Against all odds, this brave man, stood in front of the tanks, put his life in danger, all to stand up for what he believed in, which in this case was- protest without disruption. Free Speech. It was simple, it was meaningful, and it was non-violent. I wonder, how someone could think up something, that when portrayed around the world would demonstrate how much it meant. Time's magazine- 1999 added him to the Time 100- the century's most influential people. By standing up for what he thought was right, Tank Man was an impetus, a reminder to people that we should always fight for what we believe in. It will never be forgotten. But I think that's a big part of what standing up for your rights or beliefs is about. It's about courage. The courage to make that final decision and stand up.

              Another powerful woman is Ichikawa Fusae. She and many other Japanese women activists were a big part of introducing the “Fusen Kakutoku Domei” a.k.a Women’s Suffrage League, it was the first in Japan. They fought for women’s suffrage in Japan. With women’s suffrage, countries can fully start to accept gender equality. Ichikawa Fusae, fought to enforce the fact, that women, are just as equal as men and in turn, should be allowed, to vote and run for office. What Ichikawa Fusae did, was start part of a revolution in women's suffrage. And by doing this, she fueled the ambitions of millions and millions of girls and women, worldwide. She refused to be quiet and by being so outspoken and so adamant that this law had to be made, full women's suffrage was achieved in Japan on November of 1945. And many other countries, especially in Asia, followed Japan's lead.

              And, I'm not asking you to stand in front of tanks, or create another huge foundation. We're only 13 and some of us are 14. But that doesn't stop anything. While we're crossing the road, we take small steps, and keep in mind that, even the biggest of heroes started with small steps. Small steps could mean anything, it could mean standing up to bullies. When you stand up for your rights, there will always be people, who will discourage you, or put you down. Forget them. What you're doing is right, because in a world this big, a person without a voice is lost. In a poem, Robert Frost once said- "Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—I took the one less traveled by, And that has made all the difference." Standing up for yourself, is often like taking the “road least traveled” in the sense that not a lot of people take that road, but the outcomes are rewarding. We need to remember that we should always stand up for what we believe in- if we truly think that it's right. And that we should persevere, even if we stand alone.

The Marathon of Hope

Hope. It's something that so little of us have these days. But, I've begun to think of it as a necessity. Hope is believing that things will turn out well. A quote that I think describes this the best is by Martin Luther King Jr. "We must accept finite disappointment, but never lose infinite hope." The quote tells us, that though life can be hard, we should always have hope to guide us through our lives. In our lives, we face so many problems, but it's important that we never lose hope and keep believing in ourselves, so that when we face the next problem, we're ready. As Steve Jobs stated in his Commencement Speech at Stanford University, in 2005, "Sometimes life hits you in the head with a brick. Don’t lose faith."

Terry Fox is an excellent advocate for hope. In school, we run for 20 minutes and hope to achieve as many laps as possible. I hate the Terry Fox run. To me, it's always been a source of aching joints, and a waste of time. But, today, while I'm typing this blogpost, I see the run in a whole new light. I've always taken Terry Fox for granted. But, Terry Fox was, much like they say in his documentaries- an extraordinary person. He was motivated. He ran 5,573 km in 143 days, all to raise money for Cancer Victims. His run was called the Marathon of Hope. And if I can't run for 20 minutes, which is less than nothing compared to what Terry Fox did- and with a prosthetic leg, what kind of person am I? So, today I make a resolution. I know, I know, resolutions are supposed to be made on December 31st at 12 am. But, I disagree. Resolutions are goals for us to live by, and we shouldn't have to wait until January 1st to make them. I resolve to never, ever underestimate the power of Terry Fox. Because, he did something great. He raised hope. Hope. Hope to find a cure. And that very same hope is still living today, because of what he did.

We discussed in Humanities about Hope being idealism. Mrs. Peters has started getting sick of the word Hope being associated with Idealism. But, we, as students, have clung to it as our definition and example. I'm getting sick of it too. But for different reasons. To me, idealism has always been defined as a pursuit of a higher principle, and despite, how good it should be, I mean, what's not great about believing in the best parts of life? Idealism still seems somewhat unreal. Mostly because with ideals, sometimes, we're believing in things that aren't exactly achievable, and it's in that way that I connect idealism as a feature of a Utopian society. By saying Hope is an example of Idealism, we encourage the idea that Hope is unreal. I argue against this idea. Hope isn't unreal, it's as real as you and me. It's not tangible, but it's still there, and it's still working invisible miracles on the people around us.

In 7th Grade, we learned about Pandora's box. Pandora's Box is often associated with danger and chaos. It was a trap, set, as Zeus's revenge on the humans because Prometheus stole fire from heaven. So, Zeus created Pandora, the first woman, and sent her off with a box. Now, Pandora was a curious girl, and she wanted to know what was in the box. I'm sure many of you have heard the popular proverb: "Curiosity killed the cat."- Ben Jonson. Well, in the story, read, curiosity released a whole lot of horrible creatures, each with a horrible feature that was unleashed on the Earth and on the humans. Fear, greed, pain and many more of the evil characteristics of life that we see to today. And, unfortunately for Pandora, there was no UNDO button. What was done was done. But, what we tend to forget is that, there was one more lonely creature in that box that came out. And its name was Hope. And though small, the creature had the power to reduce some of the suffering that went on in the world. The passage we read emphasized how Hope gave the humans a sense that they weren't completely alone, because they had Hope by their side.

Hope is much like a Marathon, but it doesn't have to be done alone. You can call it- a relay race. Hope is the baton, and the race is life. Think of your purpose in life, as passing the Hope on. You're trying to pass it to as many people as possible, without dropping, or losing it. But what we need to remember is that Hope alone is not going to do anything. It's not enough. You have to act upon your Hope too. It's the action behind the Hope that makes a difference in our world. And I'm sure, many of you are asking, how do you fight for hope? And, you're right. Hope isn't fought for. Hope is spread. Spread the hope, and build a better tomorrow.

Our Hidden Voice~Found Poem

Our Hidden Voice
By Bernice, Cindy, Yuichiro & Mohamed

These days wisdom
is disguised by uncertainty,
you know?
Opinions and speaking with strong
conviction and authority,
as opposed to the invisible determination
in our society.
To aggressively question and implore,
to challenge our tragic generation.
Personally chop down interrogative...ness,
to stop declaring
our so called whatevers.

Side by Side

 Unity. It's a powerful force, that makes all the difference in how our world works. People can only wish for a world where everybody works together to achieve a result that gives us a common good. Why people don't do this more often, I don't understand. One of the problems with our world is that we seem to find so many things that are different about us to justify separation, then finding things that we have in common. A thought that reflects on the quote by Bob Riley: "For too long, we have focused on our differences - in our politics and backgrounds, in our race and beliefs - rather than cherishing the unity and pride that binds us together." Unity is important to fight for, because Unity is the concept of working together, to improve on the environment that surrounds us. With 7 billion people in this world, a number that is both rising and falling, we can't afford to work as individuals, but rather as a group, and we can do this best, when we're standing together, side by side.

I know already for a fact that my family is big on unity. My parents always ask my siblings and I to work together, especially in those moments where we feel particularly unsympathetic towards each other. We have a poster in our living room that has a picture of ten to fifteen people in a long canoe or kayak. In bold, capital letters it says TEAMWORK across the top. Next to the canoe it says: "Together, we are winners." This poster speaks to me, because, beneath that phrase, in an implied sort of way is the reflection that if we win together, then: Separated, we lose. The famous Greek writer Aesop stated that: "...divided we fall." That poster reminds me of what could happen if I don't work together with my siblings and with my parents to make our environment, (which in our case, is our three story house in Ampang) a better place.

Already in ISKL, unity is a part of our curriculum. The SLR that demonstrates this is: Collaborate Constructively. I feel that this is, to me, one of the most important SLRs. All the SLRs in a way, connect, whether evident or not, with this idea. Reasoning Critically, for example, (as I learned in Band last year), isn't an individual concept, it can be seen as a group task, as you can Reason Critically by adding to an idea with other people's ideas. This form of work, seemed to work really well, especially when we were editing each other's portfolios. Collaborating Constructively is also important in school, because I know that I always tend to want to work with my friends, rather than others.

For unity as a country, I can think of no better place to start with, then Malaysia. Malaysia is made up of four main ethnic groups: Malay, Chinese, Indian and the Indigenous people--e.g. Orang Asli. Does the phrase Satu Malaysia sound familiar? It probably is, as it's EVERYWHERE, whether if it's in song form, on posters or in an extremely artistic way, this is something that living in Malaysia for 4 years has opened my eyes to. "Satu Malaysia", is a phrase and idea, that the more I see, and the more I understand, the more it grows on me. Satu or One Malaysia is an on-going program designed by the Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak (who has been in office since April 3rd, 2009) on September 16, 2010, calling for the country to draw more attention to ethnic harmony, national unity, and a more efficient exercise of authority. I think that the Malaysian government has done a great job in enforcing this way of life. This is a lifestyle that involves tolerance in a both racial and religion point of view. Hans Urs von Balthasar once said: "Even if a unity of faith is not possible, a unity of love is."

An example of Unity in the World, is the Kyoto Convention, which you may or may not have heard of. Which either way, is fine, as I just learned about it a few minutes ago. The Kyoto Convention reflects on the fact that the Earth is a deteriorating environment, what with the mass destruction of Forests, which provide prized oxygen, and creates a balance in the ecosystems of the Earth. Not only that, but the emission of greenhouse gases and the burning of fossil fuels, effects our atmosphere, climate, and contributes to Global Warming. These effects are caused individually by countries, but can be fixed as a united world. The Kyoto Protocol was adopted on December 11th, 1997 in (surprise, surprise) Kyoto, Japan. It began its work on February 16th, 2005. Slowly, more "industrialized" countries agreed to sign this treaty, to cut down the amount of gases that they released into the air. You might think, then where does the problem start? And, though you might seem awfully pessimistic, you'd be right, because where there are solutions, there are often more problems. And, in this case that problem, starts with the country that I call home: the US. The United States, still to this day, refuses to sign the Kyoto Protocol. Without the US backing the Kyoto Protocol, the ability to slow the heating of our atmosphere isn't very likely, because the US alone, produces a quarter of the world's greenhouse gases.

Unity. We revisited this word over and over in this post, and you've seen different views of Unity, which slowly, but surely worked its way from Family, and in our own Houses, to reach the World. Which, is eventually what it all leads to, doesn't it? If we look to our future, the world depends on a generation that will connect our World, to save our planet. And, it's now, in a reverse of format, that I put a fourth quote into your already questioning mind. "So powerful is the light of unity, that it can illuminate the whole Earth."- Baha'u'llah. Each individual has metaphorically, a candle, call it hope if you will, and when we put our candles together we have an enormous light, that shines and fills the whole Earth with a sense of harmony. It's up to each of us to keep that light shining.

The Voice of The People

"As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master. This expresses my idea of democracy."-Abraham Lincoln. Democracy is a government of the people, by the people and for the people. If I were given a chance to create a New World, I could only hope that it would be built around democracy.

Democracy is important because it gives everyone a chance for free expression, and gives the opportunity to those freely chosen to represent the people, a chance to make the rules and laws based on the opinions of all. In this way, I feel that democracy connects to freedom, because people are free to say what they think. An example of this is current day New World in the book: The Knife of Never Letting Go, where Voices and Noise are nothing short of abundant. There shouldn't be a prominent voice, to which everyone should listen to, like Mayor Prentiss, but instead, there should be a common voice to which everyone has a part of. That way, decisions are made not only by a leader, but by the people as well.

Also, I think it is important for a society to be built around democracy because everyone is equal. In a democracy, votes are all the same worth. It doesn’t matter who voted, because they are all counted in the process of fair election. Equality is important because in a place where everyone can be from different minorities or ethnic groups because of immigration, people shouldn’t be put apart or not considered because of their roots. It is because of equality that people can attempt to coexist, whether it be with the opposite gender or people from different places. Going to an international school has helped boost awareness of the importance of this in me.

Without democracy, New World is not guaranteed long lasting peace and prosperity, because of the fact that choices made are not always shared by all. Which means that war could be started based upon the fact that people simply aren’t happy with the choices made by the leader. In a democracy, those who are chosen to represent the people are held accountable, whereas, dictators don’t have the same sense of accountability. An example would be in dictatorships of our world today, like Gadhafi. Abraham Lincoln states "As I would not be a slave, so I would not be a master..." Through this quote, Lincoln expresses the idea that, democracy is for everyone and that everyone should have a chance at democracy, no matter who they are. Abraham Lincoln was not only an inspirational leader but an advocate of democracy. I can only hope that New World will find a leader that follows in his footsteps.

Hunger Games Assessment

For my Hunger Games Assessment, my partner: Sonja and I did 5 items.

• Portrait of Gale
• Portrait of Rue
• A Diary Entry
• A Newspaper Entry
• A Key Symbol Paper

Sonja drew the 2 portraits, one of them was Rue and the other one was Gale. They're two of the main characters in the book, who are both in some way connected to Katniss, whether it be by district, relationship or by partnership. Rue was Katniss' friend and ally, until the moment of her untimely death in Chapter 18. Her portrait is surrounded by character traits, a sketch of her "lucky" token, and some events she shared with Katniss.

The second portrait was of Gale. Gale was Katniss' friend and hunting partner in District 12. They are both from "The Seam" and share the same olive skin, gray eyes & straight black hair. Gale often speaks badly of the Capitol. Both Gale & Katniss are caretakers for their family, and lost their fathers in a Coal Mine Explosion. The portrait is surrounded by some of the things they did together in the woods (e.g. hunt), and characteristics. We chose to do Rue & Gale for the portraits because of their roles in the book and the fact that they are important characters that are very influential.

I typed the Diary Entry, which was from Gale's perspective. It reflects on the unspoken words that Gale could have said to Katniss before the Peacekeepers took him away. I decided to use Gale for the diary entry subject because in the book, he is so much of a closed off person, and I decided that it would be interesting to see him in a more open way.

I also typed the Newspaper Entry. The Newspaper Entry was titled: "A Fiery Debut", it had a newspaper background and was put underneath Capitol News. It spoke of Katniss & Peeta's entry in their fiery costumes of illusion. It was written in the view of a Capitol Journalist. I decided to use this moment, because it shows how the audience suddenly changed in their views of District 12. They no longer looked down on them, but cheered them on. It started the story of Katniss & Peeta and set the standard for what was to happen later on in Part 2 and the rest of Part 1.

The final project was a Key Symbol Paper. We split the work in half. We chose the mockingjay as our key symbol, because it is a very important symbol in the book. Sonja drew a mockingjay on a perch, singing a few notes. I supplied the paper with a paragraph on the mockingjays value, whether as the bird or as the pin.

It was a very fun project to do, and the only thing I regret is that we didn't get the chance to print out the newspaper again with proper editing and without the paragraph being cut-off.

The Luttrell Psalter

The Luttrell Psalter portrays contemporary rustic life during the period of time in the Middle Ages. It contrasts the two immensely different lives of those of the high class and the serfs. It is an immense collection of paintings that are illustrated and filled with detail. Through it, we can see the everyday lives of the serfs during that time period, as well as the work they did to satisfy their lord, earn money, and partially fill their bellies. It is a primary source because the person who painted and drew the Luttrell Psalter was most likely there to paint the scenes and saw each and every one of the events that you can see in the scenes. The document was created during the Middle Ages. What makes the Luttrell Psalter such a unique document is the fact that it describes through paintings the lives of those who had to work for lords to make a living. Most of the serfs shown in the painting were malnourished and were painted a sickly, pale color. Detail, one of the Luttrell Psalter's most prominent factors is another reason that makes it so distinctive in style; elaborate detail wasn't very common at the time. The final factor that makes it so unique is the reality put into it; the workers painted aren't happy or content to be working at fields in the hot sun at minimum wage. Instead the artist painted tired workers with sore backs that are eager to get back home. It revolves around the reality, that most people might not want to see, but on the whole is an example of England during that era.

My Learning Profile: A

I'm an A Profile in the Logic Hemisphere.

I learn best when focusing on the details and understanding the details before getting to the whole picture. This can make it difficult for me, as I might have very good detail but the whole picture might be messy. I need to explore seeing and analyzing info from a whole perspective and the possibility of interpreting an expression in two or more distinct ways (ambiguity). I have all Sensory-Motor Modalities available, even when under stress. The strategies that would help me in my learning would be knowing and having a full idea of what would be happening in class that day as well as having clear and ordered guidelines. When stressed it's difficult for me to see the big picture and it's hard for me to access the Gestalt Hemisphere. I would benefit a lot from a balance of art, music, free-form movement and interpersonal/intra-personal skills.

Taking A Stand

There were many different ways that the Germans responded to the Kristallnacht. Each was unique in it's own way and had different effects on the victims of Kristallnacht. In the reading: "Taking A Stand" we heard about three different choices.

One of the choices was to put the event behind them and tried to embrace the new government's antisemitism stance. They were bystanders and just stood by as the Nazi bullies attacked and murdered many Jews. I think that many of the Germans chose this option out of pure fear. Melita Maschmann spoke in the reading of how they slowly adjusted to this as the days, weeks and months went by, they had no choice but to forget and continue their lives, as if it never happened. Many didn't want to risk their lives, or become members in a concentration camp.

The second choice was to cleverly aid the Jews in small acts of kindness, like offering shelter or a place to stay in. But this had to be done very carefully as if anyone ever suspected the people of harboring Jews in their home, the Jews and the host(s) would all be guillotined, murdered or sent to concentration camps. The host(s) would be trialed in court of betrayal to their own country by helping "those filthy Jews". We saw in the video how "well" these kind host(s) were received. They didn't stand anything close to a chance in those courts, as probably all of the judges were faithful followers of the Nazi Party, thankful to Hitler for strengthening their country and establishing a powerful nation.

The following choice was to resign membership to the Nazi Party or to send anonymous letters of protest to foreign embassies. The second part of the choice was fairly safe as it was anonymous and though it voiced complaints and anger and displeasure, nobody knew who was to blame for the letters chock-full of emotion. The first part, however, was very difficult, unless they were to flee to neutral territory as soon as they had resigned, as the Nazi Party were very hard on those who left their allegiance.

The final choice, which was chosen by Andre, who made the decision not to harm the Jew's by throwing stones at them was to flee to neutral territory (e.g. Switzerland). In that way, they were neither helping or hurting the Jews. Which, in my point of view is just as bad as being a bystander. True, he made the wise decision in not harming the Jews, but when he fled it was an act of cowardice, but and act that saved his and his family's life. Though preserving his life was very important; by leaving, he left the Jews to fend for themselves on Kristallnacht. Though many of the people fleeing found that they had done a good deed, it wasn't. By leaving, they became bystanders, but they were watching in a different country.

If I were in that rather difficult situation, I wouldn't announce boldly like the White Rose that I disagreed with the Nazi's political stance on antisemitism. Though it would be tremendously courageous and brave of me, it would only definitely land me in some sort of concentration camp or in the guillotine. The Nazi's didn't appreciate free speech or allowed any threat to stay a threat for too long.

I wouldn't have been able to accept the unjust murders and destroyed property of the Jews. My conscience wouldn't let me sleep at night, though it might have been easier to other, I tend to be easily swayed by my better judgment and conscience. It would be all too easy for me to stress and break apart under the guilt. Instead, I would be discreet and would help those affected by that tragic night by offering food and money to those in desperate need.

And if I didn't do that, I would flee to neutral territory, and make a home and life there spreading news on the despair and tragedy of the persecuted Jews. In the reading, we heard of a German Aristocrat by the name of Molthke who helped by copying the White Rose's papers (which came to a huge use later on, after their untimely deaths) and having them flown over Germany and dropped in cities. I would participate in groups like this and spread word of Hitler's many evils in neutral territories. In hope that they would help overthrow the Nazi Party's widespread influence in Germany.

Propaganda & Analyzing Visual Images

Definition of PROPAGANDA:

• Information of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
  

Hitler and the Nazi's used propaganda to set their standards and bring people in to vote for them. An example of the biased info, were posters that used his failed artistic talent to attract people. He knew how to make the posters informative and eye catching. Hitler understood that to rig in more votes he needed to use propaganda to lead the audience to buying into his biased views. Whether it be of the Jews or Germany's need to fight back and resist the oppressors of the Treaty of Versailles.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Analyzing Visual Images

1. The family is very illustrated and it shows four happy children with rosy cheeks and dimpled chins. I can imagine that they are blond and blue-eyed. The family is placed in the center of the picture and the words Healthy People have Healthy Children are placed above and below the illustration.

2. The Creator is trying to convey the idea of a healthy and happy Greater
Germany. It's conveyed to encourage the Germans to evolve and produce
a mass population. The more people there are, there's more chance of
them taking over countries, to become a Great and Powerful Germany.

Evaluate: The purpose of the image is to encourage healthiness and children. The intended audience is probably young couples in relationships. I think it achieves it's purpose quite successfully.

Otto Hauptmann & his Political Party Choice

Based on the small piece of paper we were given, we were supposed to deduct the person's standing and the political party he would most likely vote for. My partner was Sonja, and we differed greatly in our view of the matter. You could see that it was quite clear that this Otto Hauptmann respected the Union and was grateful to them for letting him keep his job, when so many of his friends were let go due to their age. But not Otto. He blames their lack of success in his trade union on the inflation and the current ongoing depression. Not on the capitalists, or the Jews. Otto seems like a fair kind of guy and disagrees with his fellow workers about the fact that when owners are forced to cut back production, they take it out on the workers. These workers think the only way to end the depression is to let the workers control the factories and government. He opposes this idea and thinks that the workers DO get fair treatment as long as they have a strong union. He believes that factories and government should be managed by those who understand the complicated jobs.

From this I can deduct that he was definitely not going to vote for the communism idea as it revolved around the workers controlling the government and factories and the government being controlled by the people themselves, who as Otto said might not be able to understand the complicated jobs, so how would they know right from wrong? I think he would vote for the Social Democratic Party as they seem very fair, and he would agree with the lower taxes and a good image for Germany.

Otto doesn't blame anything on the foreigners and seems comfortable with working with others. So he might not agree completely with the Nazi Program. He believes in saying what he believes in, so he'd disagree with the lack of free speech in the Nazi program.

The Social Democratic Party is a party which has a lot to offer, and pretty much outranks the other parties in their views of justice, freedom and democracy. Something, I think Otto would take to heart. But just as there are many good views of the SPD, there as many risky but interesting views of the Nazi Party......

(See Sonja's Blog Post)

Anger & Humiliation/ Voices in the Dark

Response:

2 points of the Nazi Party Program that I find specifically unfair are:

*1* German blood as a requirement for German citizenship. No Jew can be a member of the nation.

I find this unfair because, firstly, if someone of different ethnicity came forward to ask permission to become a German citizen, he should be allowed to do so. An example includes Adolf Hitler, who was an Austrian citizen and was granted German citizenship. He should be able to sympathize with the victims of this law, as where would he be if he wasn't granted German citizenship? Secondly, the intolerance demonstrated towards Jews in this law is very cruel. It shows a very party with biased thinking against the Jews.

*2* The state insures that every citizen live decently and earn his livelihood. If it is impossible to provide food for the whole population, then aliens must be expelled.

It is perfectly normal for every citizen to have rights to a decent life and earned livelihood, but the fact that when food is scarce their solution is to throw out the aliens/foreigners is simply unfair, and prejudiced. The foreigners have every right to be there as the citizens by blood. They made their life there and because food is scarce they have to be kicked out. It is extremely unfair and I think that the government should make sure that there is enough food to sustain the country and that they shouldn't resort to kicking out people.

If you had been on the train, do you think you would have said or done anything? Have you or someone you know ever had a similar experience?

If I were on the train, I would've defended the Jew. I wouldn't have resorted to physical harm, and would have burst out and reprimanded the people for blaming every single one of their pity problems on the Jews (even though it wasn't my place to do so). Though I would cross the line at some point, when I could tell my life was threatened, because if I defended a life and in the end my words irritated the men more, we could both end up dead. I could instead escort the man to the next station as the conflict escalated. There was also the fact that many people at that time were killed for being a Jew, defending a Jew or speaking out against Hitler. I'd do this because the Germans had been through a lot during World War I, and needed an outlet for their frustration and anger. So when the Jews came up, they became agitated. Agitated, angry and bitter men are harder to reason with, because as I mentioned before, they had reasons to be angry. I've experienced being in places where people thought unethically or were hostile to one another, and I have experienced seeing a public display of anger, both physically and through dispute. Both were unpleasant and nobody spoke out, I think what all these situations need is someone who would back up the victim and be ready to defend the victim. This can go a long way, because it saves lives.