The article "Am I My Brother's Keeper?" is a very mind opening dialogue between Elie Wiesel and Richard D. Heffner. When Wiesel mentions people being 'informed', he means that they are aware of the issue, they know the basics and that it happened. When he says that if that "information is transferred into knowledge", he means that people give their all to know the situation and to help in whatever way needed. Knowledge means knowing the facts, to really care enough to know that facts. This is also what he means with 'responsibility'. If people know that a tragedy is happening, if they are at the least even informed about it, then they should take the responsibility in doing something about it; in helping. Wiesel means by, "And when you suffer, you need a presence", that you cannot suffer for the person, exchange yourself for them, but you can help them through it and offer help.
To Wiesel, listening is key for the world. He doesnt believe that anyone truly listens. He mentions peole walking around the streets with ear phones in, listening to the same music day after day because they are fine with the silence. He says they want to shut out the world. To him, these people are ignoring real world issues, when all the world needs is someone to listen to it.
He refers to the Bible when talking about Cain and Able, how Cain killed Able. Its odd for two people to be brothers and yet to become the "victim/assassin" of the other. He also says that "whoever kills, kills his brother", meaning we are all children of God, we are all brothers.
With all of these technological advances and the media being everywhere, we are 'informed' about many issues and tragedies going on around the world. One tragedy will happen, and we will be wrapped up in it for a couple of days until the next tragedy happens, with the previous one being forgotten. With all of this information daily, we dont feel the compassion to one event like we did a couple days previous. Like Wiesel says about sharing images and information for a month, people feel moved, but then by the second month those same images and information do not move them anymore. Wiesel says that we need to give our all to one issue at a time, do everything you can for that issue before you move on to the next. You also need to have a presence there. Wiesel goes and is present at the event so he can say that he has been there, he saw it.
We all just need to show a little more compassion, pay a little more attention, and listen to what the world is saying so we can evolve in the right manner.
I liked that you said, "listening is key for the world." I think that listening does result in change and a better understanding of the world. Truly listening will allow information to become knowledge. At the same time, I think that speech is just as important. If we cannot talk to our brothers then how can we listen to them? Weisel bashes those that listen to their music saying that they are trying to tune out the worlds issues. Yes, music is a way to avoid listening and talking, but it also brings meaning to us individually. He doesn't understand that music in our generation speaks to us. We hear a lyric that touches our heart in some way and we become attached. We relate to the music and therefore we listen. To me, speaking is just as important as listening. I think that we need better speakers to approach our audience besides the news media. If the individuals that are in need are reaching out and begging us for help, we are more likely to respond than if we listen to the news simply informing us of a tragedy.
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