Chiune Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat that worked as a Consul-General in Kaunas, Lithuania. One day when Sugihara was getting up for work, he looked out his bedroom window and saw at least 200 Jews waiting for Sugihara to issue their visas. Sugihara was their last hope, and the Jews all knew that if Sugihara signed their visas they would be on their way to freedom. From then on Sugihara knew he had a purpose in the world, and he was going to help save as many Jews as possible. But there was obstacles along the way, Sugihara had to go against his government to save the Jews. Sugihara sent at least 10 requests for permission to sign the Jews visas. But there was no approval. So Sugihara just went and did it himself without permission. Sugihara had shown Dissidence in his actions by going against his government, by not waiting for an approval because he knew by the time he would have got one, it would be too late.
Sugihara had shown dissidence by not listening to what his government was telling him to do. The Japanese consul denied all of the requests that Sugihara had sent asking the if he was allowed to issue the Jews visas. But that didn’t stop Sugihara. He kept asking and asking, until he had reached the point were he knew that it would be too late, whenever the Japanese consul did approve his request, or if they ever approved his request. So Sugihara signed the visas without his consul’s permission. But by doing that he had saved so many Jews from death by the Nazi’s. So Sugihara showing dissidence to his government wasn’t a bad thing at all, he decided to do what was right, than do what he was supposed to do. Sugihara said that he chose to obey God, rather than obey his government.
Sugihara had saved over 2,000 Jews from the Nazi’s by issuing their visas, sending them to Japan to safety, freedom and a better life. Sugihara woke up every morning and signed visas, he signed visas when he was ill, when he was tired, and even when he was meant to be having time off. Sugihara was working under pressure because he knew that if the Nazi’s ever found out about what he was doing they could take him away, separate him from his family, and kill them all. But that didn’t stop Sugihara from doing his job. He knew that if he had issued the Jew’s visa, then they would be able to go and live a safe life in Japan away from all the torture and horror in Lithuania. Sugihara was a dissident person because he didn’t care in the end about what his goverment had told him to do or what they wanted him to do, he made sure that he did what was right, and that was to save all the Jews that he had saved.
Sugihara to me was a truly inspirational person. He was so selfless and didn’t care about himself at all. Sugihara didn’t want to be known as a superhero, he didn’t want to be famous and popular, he knew his job and he wanted to do it correctly. Sugihara saved over 2,000 Jews from the Nazi’s, when they could have all been sent to their death. Even on day’s when Sugihara was sick, tired, and felt that he couldn’t work, he made sure that he signed more visas and as much as he possibly could. He didn’t care about himself being sick or all the medical attention that he needed, he knew that there were more important things in the world than him, and he wanted to make sure that they were seen to.
Sugihara had such courage to help all of the Jews. What really stood out to me was that he knew the severe consequences he would have to face if he was ever found out about. But he kept going, and signed visa after visa after visa. Sugihara was a true hero to all of the Jews who thought that there was no hope, and that they were going to get killed. But he stopped them thinking that, and told them there was hope and not to give up, he didn’t tell them that with speech, but with actions. He made sure that he could save as much Jews as he possibly could. He never gave up, and showed actions of dissidence, that people now would have thought that that would be dangerous, going against your government when they had so much power. But Sugihara didn’t care and wasn’t going to stop until he really had too.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” -Elie Wiesel
Sugihara had shown dissidence by not listening to what his government was telling him to do. The Japanese consul denied all of the requests that Sugihara had sent asking the if he was allowed to issue the Jews visas. But that didn’t stop Sugihara. He kept asking and asking, until he had reached the point were he knew that it would be too late, whenever the Japanese consul did approve his request, or if they ever approved his request. So Sugihara signed the visas without his consul’s permission. But by doing that he had saved so many Jews from death by the Nazi’s. So Sugihara showing dissidence to his government wasn’t a bad thing at all, he decided to do what was right, than do what he was supposed to do. Sugihara said that he chose to obey God, rather than obey his government.
Sugihara had saved over 2,000 Jews from the Nazi’s by issuing their visas, sending them to Japan to safety, freedom and a better life. Sugihara woke up every morning and signed visas, he signed visas when he was ill, when he was tired, and even when he was meant to be having time off. Sugihara was working under pressure because he knew that if the Nazi’s ever found out about what he was doing they could take him away, separate him from his family, and kill them all. But that didn’t stop Sugihara from doing his job. He knew that if he had issued the Jew’s visa, then they would be able to go and live a safe life in Japan away from all the torture and horror in Lithuania. Sugihara was a dissident person because he didn’t care in the end about what his goverment had told him to do or what they wanted him to do, he made sure that he did what was right, and that was to save all the Jews that he had saved.
Sugihara to me was a truly inspirational person. He was so selfless and didn’t care about himself at all. Sugihara didn’t want to be known as a superhero, he didn’t want to be famous and popular, he knew his job and he wanted to do it correctly. Sugihara saved over 2,000 Jews from the Nazi’s, when they could have all been sent to their death. Even on day’s when Sugihara was sick, tired, and felt that he couldn’t work, he made sure that he signed more visas and as much as he possibly could. He didn’t care about himself being sick or all the medical attention that he needed, he knew that there were more important things in the world than him, and he wanted to make sure that they were seen to.
Sugihara had such courage to help all of the Jews. What really stood out to me was that he knew the severe consequences he would have to face if he was ever found out about. But he kept going, and signed visa after visa after visa. Sugihara was a true hero to all of the Jews who thought that there was no hope, and that they were going to get killed. But he stopped them thinking that, and told them there was hope and not to give up, he didn’t tell them that with speech, but with actions. He made sure that he could save as much Jews as he possibly could. He never gave up, and showed actions of dissidence, that people now would have thought that that would be dangerous, going against your government when they had so much power. But Sugihara didn’t care and wasn’t going to stop until he really had too.
“There may be times when we are powerless to prevent injustice, but there must never be a time when we fail to protest.” -Elie Wiesel
