Chiune Sugihara

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

Germans, Jews, and Propaganda.

This picture "Der Bannerträger" was painted by Austrian-born artist Hubert Lanzinger (1880-1950) in 1935. This painting shows Hitler gazing into a better future for Germany. Der Bannerträger was first displayed in the Great German Art Exhibition in Munich 1937. This image was turned into a postcard by Heinrich Hoffman ( Hitler's official photographer) in 1938.

In this image I see Hitler on a black horse, looking ahead strong and proud into Germany's future. Hitler is sitting on the horse proudly holding the German flag, while wearing a knight in shining armor suit. Hitler is looking into a better future for Ger

many and that of course means killing the Jews, and making Germany only for Germans. But of course that is the way Hitler see's Germany in a positive way. This image was made into a postcard, so basically people can choose to by a postcard of Hitler. Hitler is trying to make himself as popular and as famous in Germany as possible because he wants to make Germany under his control.

In this image Hitler is looking proud and ready to work. He is holding the Nazi flag, and is on a black horse. Normally when someone is the leader of a parade, or of an army, you will see them on a horse holding a flag, or a sword, or something like that. In this image Hitler seems to be on a horse, holding the Nazi flag, as if he is leading the Nazi's into a brighter and happier future.

Der Stürmer was the most famed newspaper in Germany. It published tons of Anti-Jewish images, and articles by Philipp Rupprecht known well as Fips. The image on the front cover of Der Stürmer shows the "Jew" as a warmonger who looks at the non-Jewish world supportingly as it is crucified on a cross marked "war" (Krieg).

In this image I see a German on the cross, supposedly being crusified, while a Jew is looking at him and smiling. This was written by a German so of course this might be a bit mis-leading. In this image I see hatred between the 2 races. I think that Philipp Rupprecht put this on the cover page because he wants Germans and German families to see how terrible the Jew's are and how they mistreat the Germans. He wants Germans to think that the Jew's are terrible people and to hate the Jew's is the correct feeling to have against them.

In this image the German is looking really sad while the Jew is looking back at him in a selfish type of way. If I was a German and I saw this image I would be quite angry because the Jew's would be killing us. So of course this is putting a bad look on the Jew's to the Germans. Because of course all of Germany wants to be safe and not killed. This image is definitely going to get Germans to start hating Jew's because it is showing the Jewish Race killing the Germans and over powering them.

Is it right to risk bringing such danger on one's relatives and friends by challenging the forces of law and order?

Is it right to risk bringing such danger on one's relatives and friends by challenging the forces of law and order?

I believe that it is both right, and both wrong to risk danger against on relatives and friends by challenging the forces of law and order. This is a difficult question because there are so many different answers to this questions for both the question being right and wrong. Why I believe that this question is right is because the forces of law and order are very harsh, when you are messing with them, your basically playing with a ball of fire. They control the country and how everything is supposed to go. In the case of "Boy in Striped Pajamas" the Nazi's want the family to go and work at Aushuitz. The Nazi's are very powerful people and you never know if you don't follow their rules and how they want things to go, what might happen to you. So I believe that he was doing what was right for his family in a way, he didn't want the forces to get a hold of him.

The reason why I believe that this is the wrong idea is because, well, the mother in the book was completely correct. This was no place for young kids to grow up. To think that your kids should grow up near a concentration camp is just horrible. Just to think that there are people being tortured, and people are dying there everyday is just really disturbing and to bring your family there is just a horrible thing to do, and I myself would never do, because I would never want my family, or my children to grow up in those surroundings. I believe that this is a dangerous situation, because like exactly what happened in the book, Bruno and most young boy's are adventurous and love playing around and discovering new things. To think that your child would just sit around the house all day for about a year is ridiculous and it's very dangerous because some day he is just going to want to break free, and will go out and explore. It's dangerous to think that if your child explores he might possibly run into the concentration camp and, will want to go in and see what is going on in there. In the book this is exactly what happened, and if the father had thought of the family, and the kids a bit more before he moved there he might not be in that situation.

Treaty of Versaille Fair of Unfair?

‘I am convinced that if this peace is not made on the highest principles of justice, it will be swept away by the peoples of the world in less than a generation.’ Woodrow Wilson

The Treaty of Versaille was established in 1918 by President Woodrow Wilson. His goal was to make the world forever at peace and to stop all the war going on between the Germans and the other countries. But and interesting question came up. But was the Treaty of Versaille fair of unfair?

I believe that the Treaty of Versaille was fair. There were only 14 rules but they would be a lot to ask for for a country to do. The country's would really have to work at making peace. If all the countries decided to follow the Treaty of Versaille they world would be a much better place. Yet they didn't. That is another interesting question, Why would some of the countries dissagree to this? Wouldn't most countries and their leaders want a more peaceful place for their people to live in? I think that it was completely fair to everyone, because who wouldn't want the world to be a better place? But there were 14 points, there are only 14 but that is quite hard to follow when you have to make a whole country follow them as well.

President Woodrow I think would really need to think this over because this is a lot to ask from many countries especially Germany at that time. So of course there are going to be many countries that are going to completely disagree because it a lot to ask from them. But coming back to the question. The Treaty of Versaille was fair but hard to follow for some countries and I think that is the reason why some of them didn't sign it.

No Man is an Island

No man is an island entire of itself; every man

is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europeis the less, as well as if a promontory were, aswell as any manner of thy friends or of thineown were; any man's death diminishes me,because I am involved in mankind.And therefore never send to know for whomthe bell tolls; it tolls for thee.

These words by John Donne from the 1624 Meditation 17,

from Devotions Upon Emergent Occasions

How do these texts explore similar themes?

I think that the main theme for this piece would be that all men are equal and we are all the same. There is not better man or no worse man. The saying " No Man is and Island" means that no man is isolated and we are all together and are to help each other in whatever we need help with. We are not individuals in the world we are a team, a community, and we are all to help each other. There are so many people in the world who suffer from segregation and cannot receive any help because they are different. This piece of writing tells us that it doesn't matter how different we are, we are all equal and should help each other.

How do the texts provide insight to prejudice and "otherness"?

Well John Donne was saying that every man is equal in the world and no man is greater than another. Because some people in the world believe that they are greater than others and will refuse to help anybody under their status. What John Donne is trying to say is that we are all the same, there is no difference. For example if I cut myself I will bleed, if you cut yourself you will bleed. There is no difference in mankind we are all equal.

Why do people make distinctions between "us" and "them" ?

People make distinctions between "us" and "them" because they are probably jealous, or afraid, or maybe just being cautious with the other "kind". Some people might not want the "others" to take over their power, they might be afraid of losing it. They might be afraid that the "others" are different and may harm them. In the end it just depends on our emotions with the "others" and what we think of them that makes us make distinctions.

What do you believe in?

I think that most of the essays I read were beautiful and touching. I think that each one is special in their own way and they both give us great examples on what to believe in, in life. Each person has a different life and they have different ways of expressing them selves. We all have different beliefs and thats great! But my favorite pretty much out of all of the essays I read would have to have been Tarick McClain.

I think that he's really inspiring, to think that he's just a kindergarden student! Not many kids at that age are thinking about things they believe in, some might but are not as advanced as that! He comes up with great ideas of what he believes in and its just really plain and simple, nothing fancy about it, he just says whats on his mind. Not many kids at that age even know what to believe in, but he has a pretty good idea of what he wants to do and what he strongly believes in.

I think that its amazing for a young kid like him to get out and just tell people stuff like that, because not many do! He seems pretty advanced. I just think that he is a really inspiring person and people should really appreciate the things in life!

Book Art

Book Art, Since most of the Libraries in the UK have shut down due to people not really needing them any more. There has been a mysterious person coming around leaving very unusual yet, beautiful beautiful pieces of art. The person has carved a different image out of each book leaving a special note on each one. The person has left them in Libraries all over the country and each one is very touching and amazing. This person is trying his/her best to keep the libraries open and to get people to read more from them. The libraries really are a wonderful place to express your learning. There are so much books each one matching the different topic you need, we really need to start using them. Because if they shut down, we're not going to have a chance to borrow fantastic books, because in book shops we have to spend money and actually buy them, but libraries you don't!

This person has change pretty much the whole face of libraries, by the touching quote he/she put. It really makes us think how important they are and how we should start using them a lot more. This person has become pretty famous world-wide for his amazing talent of carving different sculptures out of books. It really is truly amazing, and we should learn to appreciate our libraries a lot more!