All But My Life Vs. Conflict in Syria

http://articles.cnn.com/2012-02-23/world/world_syria-intervention_1_syrian-opposition-bashar-syrian-regime?_s=PM:WORLD

This article is about how in Syria, people are getting killed and feeling helpless yet the world isn't doing much to help. Some consider this conflict a genocide. The article's title tells the opinion of many Syrians; The title reads, "Why the World isn't Intervening in Syria." The title explains how the people for Syria feel, which explains why the audience was meant to be the rest of the world. The article was meant to inform the world about the situation in Syria and try to persuade them to try and help. The article claims that the rest of the world is sitting back and watching Syria fall along with its people.  In the article it says, "What is the world waiting for. For us to die of hunger and fear?" This shows that the people of Syria think the rest of the world don;t care about them and are going to let them die. One issue here is the international community doesn't know what to do to stop the conflict, and they can;t agree on whether or not to intervene in the first place. Also in the article is, "The Chinese and Russians are dead set against (intervention)" showing why the international community can;t decide and agree on what to do. America has suggested to intervene but the evidence against this was, "I think foreign military intervention would probably be catastrophic, and to hear Americans suggest this is to think back what they did in Iraq and what an extraordinary catastrophe that has been." This provided a reasonable example of why the world shouldn't intervene yet the Syrians complain about not having help sent to them. 

       This conflict connects to the conflict in All But My Life because the conflict in the book is the holocaust. In the holocaust people were killed for what they believed in just as people are killed in Syria for what they believe in for their country. In both conflicts people were dehumanized and killed by people of their own country. Both conflicts are considered genocide. Also the world didn't intervene with the holocaust until much later and after many were killed. In the conflict in Syria, the world cant agree on if to help Syria while people die every day so the world stands back and watches just as it did in the holocaust. Another similarity of the conflict in Syria and the holocaust is how the people of they conflict turned on each other and how the governments turned on their people. In the holocaust, the German government was taken over and a dictator was put in charge. Under Hitler, the dictator of the holocaust, the genocide commenced and during it, people of the country were killed but its own people. In the conflict of Syria, a dictator overtook the government in Syria and is creating the issues but killing its people, and using the government to its advantage. These two conflicts are both deadly to everyone involved and are causing an international debate on how to handle it. These two conflicts are similar issues in different time periods.

Dear Gerda...

Dear Gerda,

       I don't know if i've ever told you this, but I wanted to thank you for staying with me. That day at Sosmowitz when you recieved a work card and could leave before we were sent to the camps. I will never know why you didn't leave and go with Abek's family. I don;t even know if it was for me or for some other reason you didn't want to tell me. Yet I will forever be grateful and always rememebr the act of friendship you showed me that day. I can't figure out why you didn't leave though. You had the chance to be free, well more free than you knew you would be at the camp. You could have escaped with Abek and lived a full life with him, even if you didn't feel the same way about him as he did for you. That day I secretly envyed you for your chance at freedom but I supported you and was happy for you. I wished for you to have a full life. However you didn't leave, and I will be ever in your debt. Whether you know it or not, you were my support and the quite possibly the reason for me not going insane. We should remain friends for as long as we live. I can't express how much I respect you and look up to you for all your bravery not only then but in life. I may never know if I would have done the same for you if the situation was reversed that day, but i'd like to think I would have the courage to do what you did that day; to stay with you and help you through this terribly frightening event. I hope you realize what an amazing friend and person you are and i will never forget what you did.
                                                                                                                     
                                                                                                                      With Love,
                                                                                                                            Iles

Stages of Genocide - All But My Life

In the first 54 pages of All But My Life, the stage of genocide shown is dehumanization. Dehumanization is when a group of people is looked upon as not human or below other people. This happens when the Jews in All But My Life, including Gerda and her friends and family are looked upon as equal to dogs. The event is when Gerda passes the factory on her way to visit Ilse with Mr. Pipersberg. When they got there, a sign was on the factory. The sign read, “DOGS AND JEWS NOT ALLOWED TO ENTER” (Klein, 1995, p.26). This sign shows that in the minds of many people, Jews and dogs are of the same level of humanity. This makes others believe that since Jews and dogs are alike, Jews are no longer human and such should not be treated like a human. Another event that shows dehumanization in All But My Life is when the rations for Jews are cut. After Christmas all rations for Jews were cut to less than half of those who were non-Jews. Also the word “JEW” was printed on the card determining that only Jews were targeted to have their rations cut. This shows that people are intentionally trying to weaken the Jews specifically. This shows dehumanization because it is treating Jews under what all other non-Jews receive in rations. Treating all Jews under everybody else is dehumanizing them.

Aid Agency

Child Soldiers International would be best for our student body to sent money for because of its effect on child soldiers around the world.Child Soldiers International works towards preventing the recruitment and use of children as soldiers and secures rehabilitation for child soldiers. Founded in 1998, created from the coalition of human rights and humanitarian organizations, Child Soldiers International was made to stop the use of children in armed combat. Working with the UN and globally effective, Child Soldiers International has worked in many countries around the world to stop and help the child soldiers being forced to fight. Currently Child Soldiers International is addressing the recruitment of child soldiers in 4 countries; Chad, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Myanmar, and Thailand. There is also a campaign in the UK to finally make it so only people 18 years of age and older can join the military. This law is effective in many other countries including the US. As you can see Child Soldiers International is an effective, progressing, helpful force internationally that works to stop child soldiers.This makes Child Soldiers International the best option to send money for to be most effective in the world.

Who's To Blame?

I would blame the UN for Rwanda because even though they “tried” to “intervene” with the Rwandan genocide; they didn’t quite do all they could do to stop it. In all honesty, the UN could have tried a lot harder to stop the killing, but the countries had no true connection with Rwanda so no country belonging to the UN really wanted to stick their neck out for a country they didn’t really need. With all the killing, the effort the UN put forth to stop the genocide is very small and because the UN didn’t really have a need for Rwanda, they let it fall.

Defiance 12-01-11

If i were the editor of Defiance I would have the scene just about how it went in the movie. In my ethics i don't think they should have killed them but if i were in their position i probably wouldn't have killed him too. Letting him go free would be too risky for him to reveal their place and if i were in their position i would have a lot of anger built up towards Germans in general that i would probably kill him too.Obviously i don't think killing is right but in the moment, in my mind, i would probably have done what then did in the scene. I think the scene is a good representation of what i think would happen. They showed how the man was scared and how he had a family too but it also showed how they had families too but they were killed.My ethics now are i definitely don;t think killing is right or just in any situation, however if i were in their position, i can't guarantee that i wouldn't kill the man too. In the way i think now, i probably would kill him, just because of the way i handle anger and how it would come out all at once. Overall i would keep the scene how it is now because in my mind, that's how it would happened when it actually happened.

Defiance 11-30-11

The actions of Tuvia and the Jewish partisans are different than Zus and the Russian partisans. Tuvia and the Jewish partisans send out food scouts to go to a village and take food from people but they only steal from those who can afford to give it and not from those unable to. Zus and the Russian partisans ambush Germans and kill them. I believe both are understandable but i only believe Tuvia's actions are justifiable. Tuvia's actions are reasonable and are not as drastic as Zus's. As i said before, i don;t think killing is ever justifiable. I do believe the anger and hurt behind the actions of Zus are understandable but not justified. However Tuvia does what he needs to do to provide for his community. What Tuvia and Zus do are both against what the Germans want, they just go about it in different ways. The U.S. used some of the same tactics during the revolutionary war, but neither the U.S. or Tuvia/Zus's actions are justified. I think if what we do is justifiable depends on how you go about it. For example Tuvia goes about it in a peaceful, undercover, merciful way as opposed to Zus who kills everyone possible that is against him. In war time, circumstances do change but whether actions are justifiable or not does not change. Actions can be unjust but understandable. So even in war time, killing is not just.

Defiance 11-29-11

The actions of Tuvia of killing the man responsible for killing his parents i think are not justifiable. I believe his actions are understandable and with what he did in mind, most people would want to have revenge and kill him but i don't think killing anybody no matter what he or she has done, killing them is not justifiable.I once heard something that was something like  "When humans turn on humans is when we loose our humanity" which to me makes sense in this situation. Even in war time no human should kill one another. Killing may be the only other option than being killed so its definitely understandable and is different when being hunted but i still think killing is unjust.

Examples of Genocide at USAF Museum

One example of the steps to genocide i heard at the USAF Museum was when the speaker was talking about his past. He was talking about how there was a sign he saw in a public place that read, "No dogs or Jews." This is and example of Dehumanization. This was dehumanization because it implys that Jews are of the same status as dogs and they were not allowed the same rights as humans/others. It also implyed that Jews were under humans and could not revieve the rights and privledges of a human.

Pre-War Picture Project

Chelm, Poland


Before the war the Jewish population in Chelm Poland was about 18,000. The Jewish population had been in Chelm Poland since around the 12th century. Life for the Jews in Chelm Poland before the war was as normal as it would be. Germany had a nonaggression treaty with Poland so the people of Poland weren't very much effected by the issues surrounding them until germane broke the treat. Chelm is located in Poland. Germany had invaded Poland in 1939. This was against a nonaggression pact between Poland and Germany.The Jews of Chelm during the invasion of the Nazis in 1939, the Nazi's would come through and do this march which was basically a massacre of Jews. They soldiers would lay them down and shoot them. Survivors would be starved because no body would supply them with food. Survivors after htat would be sent to the Sobibor Death Camp.By the time the war was over, over 2/3 of the Jewish population of Chelm have been killed.


Comparing the Past to the Present

3 Girls at school

http://resources.ushmm.org/inquery/uia_doc.php/photos/6178?hr=null

Me with Olivia and Shelby at school

In this picture life seemed pretty normal for these 3 girls at school before the war. Showed in the picture above, these 3 girls are harmlessly smiling for a picture at school. Looking through pictures at home from my life, I found many pictures of me with friends doing normal life activities like going to school, shopping at the mall, and going to the movies. With many pictures to choose from I chose the picture above because it was very similar to the one of the 3 girls that seem just like Olivia, Shelby, and I. This picture is of Olivia, Shelby and I is at school together because we simply wanted to take a picture, which is very similar to why I image the other 3 girls took their picture. Even our pose was similar which is actually very cool. Our pictures are very similar in many ways, 3 friends taking a picture at school, smiling. There are actually not really any differences excluding the color of the older picture and the style "back then." These pictures both show normal life of going to school and getting an education while having fun with friends.

Genocide

How does genocide come to be?

I think genocide is caused by a group of people that organize a way to kill a group of people. I think it occurs when people turn on certain people and begin to kill them. When i hear genocide i think of the holocaust and killing.

Changing views

After studying the Armenian genocide, describe how your views on genocide and how and why it happens have changed.

Genocide in general obviously i still thing it is wrong however i now know that there are many steps that lead up to genocide. Also at some point in the history of even america we have done at least one step of genocide. Also i was not aware that genocide could be denied by an entire country. However genocide is more than just killing  a bunch of people and it effects more than just the ones killed. The harm inflicted on some people during the Armenian genocide was in some ways worse than being killed.

The Story of Edward Bedikian

Edward Bedikian was a very caring man who wanted to help a girl in the same situation as himself. His picture shows himself as a solemn man with a serious face. He looks like a private guy who is protective of the things he cares about but may have a hard time opening up to people. Based on the picture of Edward, he seems the type to have a hard life (obviously since he was in a genocide.) You can seem to ell that he has been through a lot and can still recall the images and situations he was involved in during the genocide.  After Edward's story i think he felt very sad, he just watched a girl who seemed to be very nice, just weak, get dragged away and most likely killed. He probably was thinking about what was going to happen to her and hoping she would be okay (even though she probably wouldn't be.) He would probably also be hoping the same thing wouldn't happen to him. 

A question Edward left unanswered was: Did you ever find out what happened to the girl? Did you ever see her again?

Classification/Symbolization

If these are considered the 1st and 2nd stages of genocide, when do you think they become a problem?

- When the classification of a group of people effects how people of other groups treat them

- when people are discriminated against because of their classification

- when symbolization changes the way people treat anyone with a certain symbol

- when people treat people of certain classification/symbolization badly/under themselves/inhuman because of their classification/symbolization