Stripped of Human Decency

There are certain words from last week's interview that continue to reverberate in my memory.  I will forever be changed by the way that Alter Wiener so poignantly shared his experiences within the Holocaust as those that followed. I asked Alter several questions, to which he all thoughtfully answered.  However, there was one in particular where I asked him at what point he may have felt stripped of human decency.  There was absolutely no pride in being Jewish, let alone a human being; the only word that seemed to echo throughout every fiber of being was that of survival.
Imagine for a second what it would be like to have nothing.  None of your possessions, no family, friends, children, nutrition or even a place to go to the bathroom.  All of these aspects to our daily lives seem so second nature, but imagine what it would be like if suddenly all of this was stripped away and you were left with next to nothing. There were guards, who may have at one time been prisoners, who caused pain or bodily harm just for their pure enjoyment.  There were people who forced you to witness atrocity merely for spectacle.  I reflect on the words of Alter now and think about all that continues to haunt him today.  How he was stripped of his decency and in an instant became less than human because of one person's influence about the "perfect race".  In an instant, he was persecuted for his faith and lost his mother, father, brothers, and other extended family in the Holocaust.  What would it be like to be in his shoes?  To be treated as less than a human being.

On the heels of my conversation with Mr. Wiener, I came across a video that my cousin posted about human rights.  Take a look...
When a group of people were interviewed, at first, they had no idea what these were.  But, as this video continues, it demonstrates how throughout our world's history, certain historical events have challenged human rights, which in the case of the Holocaust, completely annihilated them.
If nothing else from my conversation with Alter, it is the words of "hope".  That judgment not cloud our views and attitudes towards others, that approach each individual relationship without  prejudice, bigotry or hatred.  I am simply in awe of how someone after such a horrific tragedy can hold these beliefs about people.  But in the face of all that he has endured, if nothing else, hope spurs on.