rescuer and bystander essay
THE POWER TO CHOOSE: rESCUERS OR bystanders
Throughout history there are many perpetrators, bystanders, and most important of all, the rescuers in the world. These heroic figures are one of the best role models we need to have in the world. These kinds of people should be more present than bystanders. There are too many humans who act as bystanders. They need to be rescuers. A rescuer in history, which I believe, is the most memorable heroic figure is the man who changed parts of history, Oskar Schindler. The risks he went through are tremendous to do what he did. This man saved over 1,000 Jews from the Holocaust from their near to death.
Oskar Schindler risked his and many lives during what he did. He was born in April 1908 in Czechoslovakia. In the 1930's since the great depression occurred, his family went downhill. When Schindler was employed he sadly, joined the Nazi party. He didn't know what else to do; he did it because everyone joined. When the war started to progress Schindler started realizing that what the Nazi's were doing was definitely wrong. In a local interview Oskar Schindler stated, ""The persecution of Jews in occupied Poland meant that we could see horror emerging gradually in many ways. In 1939, they were forced to wear Jewish stars, and people were herded and shut up into ghettos. Then, in the years '41 and '42 there was plenty of public evidence of pure sadism. With people behaving like pigs, I felt the Jews were being destroyed. I had to help them. There was no choice." This quote has shown how brave and inspirational he was. For the years after the save Oskar Schindler accomplished, this special man was never forgotten.
In all honesty, Schindler went through hell to do what he has done. Oskar Schindler transferred over 1,000 Jews to his own factory where they worked and lived. What Oskar did was when he realized what the German Nazis were doing was wrong; he had to put a stop to it, and save the innocent Jews. "I hated the brutality, the sadism, and the insanity of Nazism. I just couldn't stand by and see people destroyed. I did what I could, what I had to do, what my conscience told me I must do. That's all there is to it. Really, nothing more." This was a statement made by him in the same interview shown above. His strategy was to go to Auschwitz and literally, right before Jews were about to be gassed, he told the soldiers to stop what they were doing. Oskar Schindler's excuse was that he wanted to take a lot of Jews to his factory so they can work and make weapons for the Nazis, so they can kill the Jews faster. He didn't mean this, he truly wanted to save the Jews from their misery, and he succeeded.
In his factory things were more simplified and exceptional. For instance, the Jews were treated much more appropriately. One big change that occurred was the meal plans. When the innocent Jews were rescued from Auschwitz, they were only getting 900 calories of food. That amount of calories was not enough, for they were being starved at the concentration camps. At Schindler's factory they were fed 2000 calories. He didn't want to starve the Jews. He wanted them to be healthy; he wanted to rescue them from their worriment. The Jews didn't at first realize why Oskar Schindler was being so thoughtful to them, for they were treated like crap in the death camps. Let alone, all the torture the human beings were put through was uncalled-for. From getting whipped and starved to being worked or gassed to death. In his safe sanctuary for the Jews they were treated as real human beings. They weren't killed if they were slacking because Oskar cared for everyone. He had a soul and was a brilliant man who helped and rescued society.
Rescuers play the most crucial role in this world. Life is better with heroes around us. They are there for us to save us from danger and fright. Oskar Schindler is the definition of a rescuer. What he accomplished throughout his life brought smiles to everyone's faces around the globe. As they say, hard times do not create heroes. It is during the hard times when the 'hero' within us is revealed. Oskar Schindler will always be remembered in our hearts as a hero during the Holocaust.
Works Cited
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Riley, Bob. "Hero Quotes- Brainy Quote." brainyquote.com. 2015 BrainyQuote, Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hero.html>.
"Good Synonyms." Thesaurus.com..: 2015 Dictionary.com, LLC., Thesaurus.com. Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.thesaurus.com/browse/good?s=t>.
"Oscar Schindler, rescuer of Jews during the Holocaust."auschwitz.dk. Louis Bülow Privacy, Web. 27 May 2015. <http://auschwitz.dk/Schindler2.htm>.
"The Oscar Schindler Story." auschwitz.dk. Louis Bülow - Privacy, Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.auschwitz.dk/id2.htm>.
Riley, Bob. "Hero Quotes- Brainy Quote." brainyquote.com. 2015 BrainyQuote, Web. 27 May 2015. <http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/hero.html>.