We were just assigned this book called Night by Elie Wiesel. Wiesel is a survivor of the holocaust and he's written four or five books on the topic. He is a truly remarkabe person. At the end of the book there's an interview with Wiesel and it's just awe inspiring the faith he has in humanity despite the horrors he described in the book. I highly recommend you go get it ~NOW~!
"I told them what I felt about the American uniform, because that meant not only victory it meant a triumph, a triumph of humanity."
He is speaking of an African American sergeant who came into camp to liberate prisoners and when he saw the Jewish prisoners he began sobbing and cussing, so horrified at what he saw. The prisoners tried to calm him and console him, which made it worse. Naturally, I mean if those prisoners tried to comfort you wouldn't you cry harder too.
Wiesel also writes of babies being used for machine gunner targets, children being used for bayonet practice, sons beating their fathers trying to survive longer. Its beyond words.
He has such faith in humanity despite the terrible things he wittnessed, and at the same age as I am now.
There are so many more quotes I'd love to share with you, but you won't really get the context without reading Night. I will post the link to the interview though, he's quite a character! I just can't quantify with words how impressed I am with him, and yet it's not even impressed, its almost like inferior to, but in a good way, a respectful way. Please read it, it is pretty long, but it's worth it! I couldn't find the actual interview it's called "A Wound that will Never be Healed" with Bob Costas. The one i found was with the Academy of Achievment.
Here it is:
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