pictures of the Holocaust

what Facing History and Ourselves meant to me

This year in facing history and ourselves was a course that I never hear d about in my life until late last year. When I was a sophomore, I heard seniors at lunch talking about how it was an awesome class and with a cool teacher. So I asked what do we do in there, and basically was watch movies and learn about the Nazis. At first I thought to myself it would suck because the word History was in it and I hate history class. So I thought I had no intention to take the class because it was just a waste of my time. So as the year went by, thoughts in my head would say to me, “take the class and see what happens.” I was not doing so well in history class. So time went on and on, and I was asked what classes would I like to take by my counselor, and I asked a little about facing history. So my counselor explained told me that the class was a good class that I should try and I did. As much as I didn’t want to history classes, I was in two history classes not knowing why I took this class as a junior. My very first day as a junior came, and my first period was facing history and ourselves with Mr. Gallagher. I never met him or knew who he was and what type of person he was. So I was taking the course as one of my electives.  The very first day touch me because not only the teacher was a great person, but I knew I had to be in the class because I remember being told that by time the course finishes, I would know who I really am.

This course really touch me in many ways and honestly I wouldn’t find myself saying this, but the fact that I learned about the Holocaust, I was shock to see how dangerous and mean a human being can treat another.  At moments watching parts in all the movies made me laugh because I have funny thoughts but deep inside of me I felt pain and hatred. I don’t know what crime the Jews did to have all their dignity and life destroyed from them but it was really wrong I was just stunned to learn about these camps held to kill millions of people by gas or starvation or force to work.  I could not believe seeing bodies on top of others, men being force to clean up there wife’s and kids body. I just didn’t understand and still to this day what was there crime. I sometime wonder was it because they were Jews, better than them, that god was a Jew, or Hitler was jealous and what power over them. Many Germany leaders knew what was going on but did nothing and took orders. They thought that as long they wouldn’t be blamed for it, they were free to kill or do anything to the Jews. Walking in to this class every morning makes me sad because I have to come in and see how bad the Jews were being treated and that no one took a step up to do something.  I sometimes wondered if I was that same person who Hitler was, a bully. This class changed me in so many ways because when I was back in Miami I was a bad boy. I would fight others or see others getting bullied and stay quiet about it.  I would stay quiet about what I saw or I did just to avoid trouble. Now after all that I have learn and watched in this has change the way I confront people and my respect for everyone. Watching movies about the holocaust was terrible to see what happen. When I first entered the class I did not know what to expect. I remember in the beginning, I thought that this was my elective class because the teacher would be talking and we would have to take notes. Now I understand what all these group work was for. It was a way to get to know one another, have open decisions, and express are thoughts and feeling with each other. The decisions were great because the topics were common and somewhat related to what we do today also. Remembering about all the bad things that I did and shouldn’t all came back and touched me. I would sometimes ask my why did I do that to that person, what was that purpose for fighting, and who am I. I honestly answered myself by saying do I want to go up being a respected man with something to live with, or just go down the drain. What Hitler did was wrong and it should not have let it take place. Knowing that his soldiers knew that it was wrong and they did nothing because they wanted to protect their families, meant to them as if they didn’t care about the millions of Jews being killed every day. Even Hitler’s men weren’t safe because if they were caught in interfering with any Jews, they would be killed or thrown in to the camps as well. When I think back about what happen to the Jews and the pictures about how they beat women and kids down just meant to me that they treated the Jews as if they were animals. This is something that will stick with me for the rest of my life and when I have kids of my own, I will make sure that they understand what took place during the Holocaust. I want to do this because I do want them to be the people that the Germans were but I want them to be a respectable people and speak up when they see some wrong doing going on somewhere. This class has changed me to be an honest man and speak up if I see someone being bullied or treated with no respect because I think that everybody deserves the same amount of respect as everyone. I really wish if this class did not have to end because it was a great time coming in the morning for first period and just watching movies or documentaries about something I didn’t know much about. I probably had some thoughts about becoming a teacher but if that ever happens, by the grace of god, I will love to talk about the Holocaust someday.