Daniel-Half Human Blog #6

My social issue, racism is a very ugly thing to be a victim of. It belittles a person of their ethnicity, culture, religion the list could go on. Nowadays, with help from the world wide web racism is becoming a social media concern. People are being victims in their own homes. The internet is supposed to connect us to one another not to abuse people of their beliefs. Do you think the internet is a good thing, or a bad thing in today's society? Can we stop the on slaughter of racial acts on the web?

anti-social-media-study-finds-racist-tweets-sent-many-times-day

What is Racism?

Since my social issue is racism and some people might not know the correct definition or are mislead by different meanings. I've decided to leave a link giving a detailed description of racism and where we see it in today's world.

http://www.globalissues.org/article/165/racism

Daniel-Half Human Blog #5

I'd like to share this video of three young university students doing an experiment on racism. While watching the video I couldn't keep the shock and disbelief from surfacing. The thought that we live in the twenty century and this behaviour, this mentality was a harsh wake up call that I needed to starting living in reality. Even though this is just a documentary, and everything was fiction it doesn't mean it's not true. This behaviour happens everyday all around the world. It's just that because we don't see, we think it does not happen. This made me rethink a lot of times when I was around the public, especially in a audience where the ethnic background of the community is very prominent. I realized that it made me uncomfortable being the only one that didn't fit in. I moved from Toronto to Brampton at a young age and it was very difficult to adjust. Moving from a community where it has a little bit of everything to a community where the majority was East-Asian, was very unnerving for me. Over time I made friends that were of the East-Asian culture and mixing in with the other students became easier because of them. I owe a lot to my friends that took me under their wings and helped feel as if I belonged there. Did you every have a moment where you felt like you didn't fit in? If so, what made you accustom to the change?

        

Daniel-Half Human Blog #4

I was inspired by these gravitating poets and wanted to share what they thought of racism. Please excuse the harsh language used in the videos.

Daniel Half-Human Blog #2

I figured that since my book revolves around the social issue, racism. I’d explore Adolf Hitler, the Führer (Leader) of the Nazi party, and his ridiculed ideas, later formulated to be known as the Nazi Ideology. It is a main topic that has blossomed in my book, Daniel Half-Human by David Chotjewitz, quite a few times now. It sheds the importance of equality for every human, and disregards their rights as German-Jews. Hitler fabricated the ideology that human beings could be classified as “races”, differentiated by physical characteristics passed on through genetics from the first human beings in prehistoric times. He ordered that the “lowest” common racial upbringing would deteriorate an Aryan person’s characteristics, attitude, abilities and behaviour by interchangeable “mixings”. It was the Nazi party that grew accustomed to the Darwinian evolutionary theory, that “survival of the fittest” had to be applied to Aryans to produce a ‘race’ that was the purest of them all. The purest would lead to becoming the most dominate race the world had ever seen. Striving past difficulties, only the lesser races would face.

The Nuremberg Race Laws, links located below, orders that any interbreed marriage with a ‘parasitic vermin’ and full-blooded Aryan is forbidden. Full punishment will be held for those unfaithful to the laws, exceptions granted to those with a higher ranking above the average German, then they and their Jewish company was granted immunity for some time. The Nazi party looked down on other races, besides Jews, including Roma (Gypsies) descendent, the disabled, Poles, Soviet prisoners of war, and Afro-Germans. Their goal was to rid Germany of the ‘social outcasts’ then move to get them eliminated from elsewhere.

The protagonist in my book, Daniel Kraushaar, is faced with confronting the Nuremberg Laws in his Gymnasium(high school). He is now beginning to realize that what he really wants to do, which is ignore his half- Jewish side and agree with the Germans. Is not right and is something in which he should not do. He starts to question the actions of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party, more famously known as the Nazi party. Daniel said, “But to claim that others were subhuman seemed a bit exaggerated, didn’t it?”(Pg. 162)

The protagonists’ mother, Sophie Kraushaar, is an example of the Nazi party’s obedience and loyalty to their new laws. In the book, every Jew and Jewess, fifteen and older not emigrated was ordered to carry a special identification card with a large yellow J on it. Sophie Kraushaar had to take a passport photo with her hair pulled back and head bent forward, exposing the left ear. From Nazi research had indicated that the shape of her left ear was evidence of racial origin. To differentiate the connections between Jewishness and criminality, a fingerprint of every remaining Jew was in order. Stated in the book, “Sophie was made to press her left and right index fingers on an ink pad, then on the identity card.”(Pg. 250) Then to strip the remaining Jews of anymore personal identity. A law placed in August of 1938, demanded that all Jewish males take “Israel” as their middle name and all Jewish females, “Sara.”     

The Nuremberg played a huge part in Daniel Half-Human, it was the very nature that kept Armin Hillmann, Daniel’s best friend and Miriam, Daniel’s Jewish cousin, apart when they began it form romantic relationship. It forced Daniel to switch schools, so that their precious Christianeum be “one hundred percent ‘cleansed of Jews.” It affected the way Daniel and his family lived their life. It was almost as if they, were living in a jail cell, subjected to regulated routines, with very little freedom. The only thing that separated them from that kind of life, was that Daniel’s father was a full-blooded Aryan that was awarded the Iron Cross, giving his son and wife limited security from the SA (Sturmabteilung or Storm Troopers).              

http://www.ushmm.org/outreach/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007695- The Nuremberg Race Laws

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007903 – Translation: Nuremberg Race Laws

http://fcit.coedu.usf.edu/holocaust/DEFN/sturmabt.htm - Definition of SA

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10007457 – The Holocaust

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/triumph/tr-nurem-laws.htm - The Nuremberg Laws

http://www.yadvashem.org/yv/en/holocaust/resource_center/item.asp?gate=2-57– The Holocaust

Daniel Half-Human Blog Entry #3

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/boluwaji-ogunyemi/racial-profiling-black-doctor_b_6701140.html

I chose this particular article because it deals with my topic of racism. However, it shows a different point of view, one that I have never witness in my attempt to finding articles. It portrays the thoughts from young physician, Boluwaji Ogunyemi and his racial experiences in an Vancouver hospital. This article shows how racism still exist till this day, and how unfair and static the social status ladder is. The uneven level playing field has not changed despite the drastic events in history. The day in which everyone will be treated as equals rather than minorities or majorities, is still an ongoing project.            

Sniper Review

It’s the 1920’s and Ireland was struggling to do everything they can to keep their independence. The feud between the Republicans and Free Staters was getting more violent day after day. “The Sniper” by Liam O’Flaherty portrays a young man’s love for his country and doing whatever it takes to make sure that his country gets the government they deserve. A young man stationed at a rooftop of an abandoned building had been there all day. His job was too take out a necessary complications that might have been in the way in his country’s republican society. He thought his whole day had gone to waste, until he chose to light a cigarette, resulting in gun fire aimed at him. He spotted movement from the opposite building’s rooftop. However, before he could shoot back, an armored car approached down below on the lonesome streets. A women came out to greet a man that had come out of the vehicle. An informer was what the women was, and she was pointing towards the sniper’s hideout. Before he seconded guessed himself the sniper shot both of them in the head, killing them instantly. In the rounds fired the sniper had, unfortunately, gotten shot in his right arm. He tended to his wound and then decided to take a shot rest, since his arm was in immense pain.

The author is implying that even your best friend can be your worst enemy. It’s all about how we learn to perceive our most difficult conquests. The sniper did not know that the boy he shot was his brother, only that it was the enemy. If he had realize that it was his brother, then he probably would not had shot him, and instead told him to run and hide. This goes to show how much people put their lives on the line for some politician. When people are taught what is right from bad at a very young age, it gets harder as they get older to change their perspectives. That way of life soon becomes the only thing they know how to do and when people come forcing in, to change it, they get very defense and will take physical action to ensure that nothing changes. That is precisely what happened in the book, when the Republicans were fighting against the Free Staters. The Republicans wanted to change the system, however it did not sit well with the Free Staters who were against the change. Due to this disagreement the two opposing sides with at it with all their might to cause as much destruction and chaos to the other side. All in all the author was trying to get his readers to understand how easily it is to be manipulated and turn against someone, who you once loved.     

Daniel Half-Human Blog Entry #1

My novel that I have decided to explore is "Daniel Half-Human" by David Chotjewitz, translated by Doris Orgel. The novel is about a thirteen year old aristocrat boy named Daniel, who befriends a  common dweller from the opposite side of town. The novel itself is told in two different time periods, one at the beginning of the Second World War and after during the post-war. Both in Germany.  Just when you think it's the perfect, chummy book about two boys who become the best of friends, an unexpected turn of the story happens. Daniel is quick to discover he is half-Jewish. He is despised upon by his neighbours, teachers and friends. Thus, introducing my social issue, racism.

                I chose to have my inspiration to the book come from "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas" It relays the perfect story of how two boys from totally different upbringings find a common bond that unites them, when all odds are against them. Shmuel is captured and imprisoned at an concentration camp and is founded  and befriended by Bruno, the son of an high ranking Nazi commandant. Shmuel and his family are imprisoned in the camp because they were Jews. Throughout the movie it shows how badly the Jews were treated, hated by Germans for nothing but their ethnic background.

                This reminds me exactly how Daniel was treated once news broke out that he was half-Jewish. He and Armin never split up, standing up for one another when the time called for it. However, in the end, separation was how Daniel and his family resolved the racists threats from the community. By moving out of Germany, he and his family were able to live freely for a certain amount of time. The same thing happened with Shmuel, he was forced into segregation. However, Shmuel unfortunately did not get the same limited freedom  as Daniel and his family. This is what comes to my mind when I'm reading my novel. The racists issues the protagonist dealt with and who was by his side while that was happening.              

For more information about "The Boy in the Striped Pajamas"  either book or movie check out these links:

http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/the-boy-in-the-striped-pajamas-2008

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Boy_in_the_Striped_Pyjamas

http://theindependentcritic.com/the_boy_in_the_striped_pajamas

http://www.theage.com.au/news/book-reviews/the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas/2006/01/03/1136050420787.html

The Story behind Child Soldiers

Connection:

Lt. Col. Dave Grossman makes an excellent theory that media and entertainment has had a powerful role in corrupted children. If it is not direct media that influences kids, it is their friends that do participate in the violent "innocent" acts of fun and encourage them to. It's a chain reaction happening. In order to be a part of the group one must act, talk and walk like the others. In this case, participating in playing violent games is just the beginning. Social participant is part of it too, that is the case that occurred with Ishmael Beah, at a tender age of 12. Due to constant pressure, his innocent and naive way of thinking could not process what he was forced to do. Thus, leading him to be easily swayed by the rebels' plans. If Michael Carneal had not seen and played so many violent video games involving killing. There could be very little possibility that he would have been able to operate and kill eight students. While acting so desensitized and detached afterwards.

Challenges:

Today, most violent and graphic video games are assigned a rating, based on the level of disturbing graphics. It is supposed to keep young adolescents from purchasing the game, since parental permission is required. However, now it seems as if the opposite is happening. Youths are gaining access to these video games, through older siblings, friends, older guardians with that dismiss the level of disturbance, or illegal. Are educational organizations aware of this? Is anything being done about this issue to prevent youths from learning how to potentially harm someone, or themselves?

Concepts:

Intriguing key points that stud out for me was the mention of how children are the most easily influenced age for people overall. When forced into a situation they dislike or find uncomfortable, their automatic response is to listen and follow directions. Too afraid to do anything else. Ishmael Beah stated in the interview, that the same thing happened to him. It is very easy to force a new way of life on a child that has no experience with the real world, themselves, it allows the child to be open to dangerous things. However, they do not view their new experiences as that. Similar to the video of Ishmael Beah, he felt lonely and abandoned when in fact. His whole family had been killed. That is where the rebels intervened and provided the "fake" sense of security for those captured.

Change:

Some changes that I developed near the end of the reading was that human beings, even put through the most horrible, traumatic, sorrowful experience that most people don't experience in one lifetime. Still has the courage and determination to make themselves better and create a better life for themselves, despite what life has already given them. It is truly inspirational, to hear that Ishmael has turned his life around. If people had the determination and dedication like him, there would be more stories like Ishmael's to inspire a new generation of youths.  

Ukraine conflict: Is Russia stoking war or pushing peace?

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-30901753

This article reflects the ongoing struggles between pro-Russian separatists and eastern
Ukraine. It mentions the civilians that are caught in between the conflict. Civilians that believed in high hopes of an international peace summit for eastern Ukraine. Fyodor Lukyanov, the editor of Russia in Global Affairs, believes this confrontation is not going away anytime soon, and the citizen on both sides of the conflict will not get the peace they wanted. Lukyanov stated, that if Kiev tries to resolve the situation with military force. Russian President Vladimir Putin, will have no other choice but to respond with the same actions. It will be disastrous for everyone.

This article reminds me of how delicate situations like this can be. One accidental mistake can cause a chain reaction to occur leading to possible deaths and injuries. It shows how much thought and consideration goes into making these decisions, because it is not all about the main conflict at hand. It leads to bigger consequences, that need to be dealt with as well. All great leaders take this into consideration when planning these diplomatic maneuvers.