Making a Difference Essay

           The course Facing History and Ourselves has meant so much to me. Going into this class I was told we would be learning about the Holocaust, a topic that I had always wanted to expand upon. I never knew any details of what life was like inside the concentration camps or how things unfolded for the Holocaust to happen. I gained so much knowledge and was utterly amazed by the movies, handouts, and documentaries Mr. Gallagher showed us. Everything I experienced in this class has no doubt made me a better person.

            The first day of the class I remember Mr. Gallagher saying never be a bystander. I started to think of times where I could have stopped any type of bullying that I saw. I remember certain times where I was being a bystander and easily could have done something. Mr. Gallagher repeatedly hammered this phrase home throughout the course. It really hit home with me and now when I see someone being bullied or mistreated, I will always help. I had also seen an increase of people in the class also not being bystanders. It is truly a great feeling when you help out a person being bullied or mistreated. Without this course I do not know if I would have changed to the way I am now. I am very thankful of my realization and couldn’t have done it without the help of Mr. Gallagher or this course.

            One movie we watched in this class that really left an impression on me was “The Boy in Striped Pajamas.” This movie was very interesting and heartbreaking. The young boy in the movie saw a “farm” from his window one day and went to explore it. His father was a German officer in charge of the Concentration Camp next to their house. When the boy got there he met another young boy who was inside the camp being put to work. The two became friends and later on the German boy went inside the camp to be with his friend. He was brought into the gas chambers and was gassed and killed. Even though this movie wasn’t based on a true story it still made me feel an emotion that is somewhat unexplainable. The fact that the German boy’s dad was too busy with the camp and didn’t know his son was trying to get in because he thought it was just a “farm,” is painful. Seeing the young boys being marched into the chambers was haunting. The movie ends with the father storming into the camp trying to stop everything and realizing that his son was gassed. It was just a brutal scene and truly had an immense impact on me. It made me realize how brutal and heartless the German’s were. Till this day I can’t grip my hand around why the German’s would send millions upon millions of people to their deaths. This film will always be remembered by me and I hope everyone gets the chance to see it.

            The story about Kurt Gerstein was absolutely stunning. Gerstein was an SS officer who was completely horrified by seeing the gassing of Jews. Gerstein went around trying to tell every one he could about the mass gassing taking place at the Concentration Camps. The sad thing is no one would believe Gerstein. Gerstein even went to the pope, who simply did the same as everyone else, ignore it. He would describe how they forced Jews to completely strip naked and then marched into a chamber to be gassed. The other SS men would start yelling to everyone that it will be ok and men will continue to work and woman do not have to work. It is just horrifying to know that these German men would lie to the poor Jewish people that everything was going to be ok. I never thought high ranking officials or the Pope wouldn’t do anything about this situation or even investigate this. Millions of lives could have been saved if some act of support was given. Gerstein is a true hero in my mind. His story just amazed me and it showed how ignorant people could be. If I was in Gerstein position I would have done exactly what he did. He is an inspiring man and a true hero in my mind. It is shameful that he was sentenced to death for his actions. If anything, he should be rewarded for trying to stop some of the most horrific events to ever take place.

            










     
      The very last video we watched in class was one of actual footage of when American troops infiltrated and captured the Concentration camps. This film nearly brought tears to my eyes. What I saw, I will never forget. These American soldiers didn’t know what they were about to see and were horrified. There were piles of bodies by the thousands. Footage of murdered Jews piled atop one another. One thing that really stood out to me was the footage of shoes and clothes of the murdered victims. A room was completely packed full of clothes and shoes. It was horrifying to see how many people were murdered and the gas rooms. The film showed U.S. Army officials’ walking through sheds and houses of murdered Jews and their reactions. Mr. Gallagher always told us we didn’t know anything about the Holocaust. He kept saying this even though we were watching films and reading about it. I didn’t know what he was talking about until we watched this footage. It was just so mesmerizing and heartbreaking. It was so hard to look at the screen at points in this film because the thought of human beings being treated like this and the actual footage of the aftermath was just so haunting.

      
      










        This class has moved me so much it’s hard to describe. The feeling I had leaving the class for the last time was not a good one. This class has meant so much to me as a person. It has taught me valuable lessons and has shown me things I can’t see anywhere else. I have become a better person and more understanding. My values and morals have improved drastically and I personally feel to be a better human being. All of this would not have been able to happen if it wasn’t for the outstanding teaching of Mr. Gallagher. I have never been so inspired by someone in a class room. The way he cares about the subject and shows it really drags you in. My experiences for sure would not be the same if it wasn’t for the dedication and hard-work Mr. Gallagher put in.