ink on skin for holocaust?

 “A Tatto to Remember”  Upfront Magazine

this article is about the tradition of tattooing an assertor’s concentration camp during the holocaust. This article follows the story of a family through two generations that both have their grandfather’s/ father’s concentration camp tattooed on them. Many people in this generation know nothing about the holocaust. Because the holocaust was such a dark time, Israel as well is trying to figure out how to remember the holocaust. At the end of world war II, the Nazis killed 6million Jews as well as other “unacceptable people”.  Many are trying to put the holocaust behind them as a historical memory rather than a lived memory. Tattooing was a historical event, and all Jews in concentration camps were tattooed by the Nazis. Some people liked having their number because it showed strength, while other despised of them and after the war hid or removed them, but today ot shows care for the tragic historical event. Some people are against tattoos because of the fact that some Jews didn’t even get to live in a camp, but rather were just killed. A person should

I found this article really interesting. Personally, I think no mater the disputes around tattoos a person should have the right of remembering the awful things their family has gone through and be able to show that to the world. I think the holocaust is still a sensitive topic to many because some people are still here who lived it as children. Maybe, it’s because people have mixed feelings about the holocaust  and stuff, but there’s no question that Jews and other people that the Nazis considered “unacceptable people” were put in a very unfair position and that the Nazis were wrong for killing 6 million innocent people because they were Jews.

I also strongly believe in teaching students about the holocaust. I know that this may be a tough topic to teach because of sensitivity, but it is one of the most important events in our world’s history. We always hear as children that judging someone for their race, religion, sexual identity, gender etc, are wrong, but this really shows why. The holocaust represents a time when this world was just pure cruel.  I also think it’s important to learn about it because the world needs to get past the fact that it’s happened. What’s happened has happened and there’s no taking it back, but we can move forward and never forget it.  Some ways to do that is, get a tattoo for example. You show your pride in your family member, but at the same time just to remember the awful event in general.

What really struck me was the dispute between tattoos. It mentioned that tattoos are prohibited in Jewish law, but Jews are connected to the killings of Jews in this way, it sort of contradicts itself.

In conclusion, I think that that today’s generation needs to be taught about the holocaust no mater the sensitivity, and that Jew need to be more lenient on tattoos, many Jews chose to remember their family this way and I think it shouldn’t make them shunned. 

Giving Labels

I'm currently reading, Breathless by Jessica Warman. In the last chapter, Katie found Mazzie under the bathroom sink, hiding. Mazzie is Katie's bunk partner, and she is really conserved. Mazzie has never said a work to Katie, but Katie knows a secret about Mazzie that Mazzie doesn't even know. Katie notices that Mazzie "angrily talks in her sleep" like she's experiencing a nightmare. but Mazzie speaks in Korean, so Katie can't understand. When Katie finds Mazzie, they start to talk, and Katie finds out Mazzie's mother died and her father sent her to boarding school with no warning. The two bonded, and the judgments they had for each other were left behind. This got me thinking.

Katie originally judged Mazzie as an annoying girl who stole the top bunk, and rude 'cause she never speaks to her. Mazzie judged Katie as ridiculous for being upset over her mental brother that she hasn't heard from. They both judged before they knew each others stories. I find this a lot in the real world. I think too many people are given labels to live by, and that's what everyone thinks of them. I think that's unfair and can knock a person down. A lot of times, you misjudge a person and even though you are wrong, it can get to that person. Eventually, that person starts believing it themselves. I think judging is one of society's biggest flaws. Judging is a part of life, and comes naturally but people don't stop and think what the other person might have to say for themselves.

Estella, the "popular" girl at the boarding school is misjudged by the entire school. She is labeled as the rich, snotty, popular, pretty, flawless girl with a perfect and hot boyfriend. Everyone expects her to live up to that, because after all that is her reputation. But I think Estella is a more complicated girl with insecurities and probably feels pressured to live up to her label. I think when people label other people, it's like telling that person: this is who you are. You are this personality, and this is your story, and this is who you will grow to be and such. I think labels overtake the freedom a person has to finding themselves.

I think people judging causes people to look down on themselves and make them believe whatever society tell them. I think part of being a "kind person" is respecting and understanding that the popular girl might not be what everyone judges her to be. Understanding this can help us grow as people and make a better community.

The Perfect Child

I’m currently reading, Breathless by Jessica Warman. This book is about a girl named Katie who lives in what people would call a dream life. Her family is rich they live in a beautiful house with a swimming pool, and seem like they have no problems. But you learn by Katie that her life is far from perfect. Her father, or “the ghost” completely ignores her and her drug and depressed brother except for a time to yell at them. One theme that I found and really connected to in the book was parent- child relationship and the pressure to be the perfect child your parents always though of you as.

Katie’s parents are the type of  people who don’t want to be known as a family with problems, so having children who do have problems is shameful, and hard for them to accept. “the Ghost” is the type of parent who puts his reputation above all. If Will gets in trouble, he needs to cover it up. He can never be wrong. If he finds Will looking guilty, he won’t even ask for the story but instead just punish him. Once, they were playing on the roof and accidently dropped a cat off a building. The cat died and the Ghost automatically appeared in the doorway. He started yelling at Will, but first said, “crap why do you let this happen? The neighbors are next door.” This quote shows how he only thinks about himself. I think even though Will gets into drugs sometimes, “the Ghost” doesn’t have a right to yell at Will because he is the problem, his own father is the reason he’s in this state. Even when Will tried committing suicide, he was shamed of him, and never really cared about Will. When I started reading this and analyzing his character, it was like a “finally!” moment when I could totally understand and relate to. I think a lot of times parents have a perfect life planned out for their child because they are scared to let any imperfections show through. I personally think this is wrong and parents should be more acceptant of their child.

I can connect to this so much. A lot of times I feel society has what they want me to be. You’re going to get these grades, get into this school, and do this when you grow up. But as a kid, I feel like what we learn to love in life is what we should make our priority. I feel like a persons differences are what makes them special, so if parents don’t accept that, it can weigh a child down and make them feel worthless. 

Living for the eyes of society

I'm currently reading Identical by Ellen Hopkins. This book is about two twins who live with a father who is a judge, but contradicts himself at home where he drinks and sexually abuses his daughter. Their mother is gone most of the time and could care less about her children. These twins may be identical on looks, but couldn't be more different on the inside. Noticing their differences has led me to think deeper about why they are so different, and why they handle the problems they have internally without any expression of them. 

Raeanne, one of the twins, deals with a lot of issues. Many of these issues are secrets that she feels can only be kept, and if she tells them she will be judged. Her biggest secret is she is in love with her father. I think this is such a deep and tough topic because not every daughter feels sexual love towards her father, and also, it is something that society keeps a secret and doesn’t bring up often. I think that having this secret to keep is probably the hardest thing to deal with when trying to have a “normal” life. Raeanne repels her internal self from society, and finds a story to live by. What I mean is, she keeps her secrets and problems to herself and fakes who she is on the outside. At school she is the out going kid who talks to everyone and pretends to be that kid that everyone wishes they could be. I think Raeanne not only does this for society judgment, but also for herself. I think that Raeanne is afraid to admit her confessions to herself, because once she does, everything will be too complicated.

I think this issue can be connected to the real world in a lot of ways. Many people fake who they are, because they are afraid of being judged and given a label. I think that coming through to your true self is based on what society thinks of you. I think that all the eyes shape who you are as a person. I know I live life a lot of times thinking, “what will this person think of me if I do this?” or “what will they say about this?” I think that in a lot of ways, this is wrong. I think judging people is wrong, but I think that its part of humanity.