`` Our Story `` By Susan Griffin

Throughout the latter 1930s and early 1940s, many individuals experienced persecution. As Goldhagen mentioned in his novel, “Social death is a formal status...It is at once a culturally shared concept of the socially dead people and a set of practices towards them” (Goldhagen, 168). In Germany specifically, individuals part of a specific race were deemed to no longer be a human being in the eyes of the “superior race”. The social death of individuals such as Jewish people was obtained through the use of blame for problems faced and then the dehumanization of these individuals. Once the status of social death is reached, it is much easier for people to treat others in a degrading and violent manner. Those facing persecution, such as the Jewish, during World War II, faced immense atrocities. For individuals who were not killed themselves, the vast majority saw their friends and family killed, were stripped away from their homes and identity, were faced with torture, meager living conditions, and immense amounts of labor. On the opposite side, many individuals who took part in performing these atrocities against humanity were cognizant on some level to what they were doing, but were also obstructed

Griffin recounts his childhood and the sternness of his father he experienced when growing up. He was raised in a stern way and had a military style upbringing as a child. Himmler’s father forced him to write a particular way in his journal every single day without any emotion appearing on the pages. Individual thinking was not encouraged and his daily schedule was regimented and monitored by his dad. This showed the order he was taught, and Himmler carried this technique and other traits into his adult life. His father was the first to inscribe in Himmler’s diary and this very first entry took all of the personal emotions he had away. Griffin talks about this when she says, “Over several entries Heinrich lists each of the thirty-seven times he takes a swim, in chronological order... He does not write of his feelings.. or dreams…The stamp of his father’s character is so heavy on this language that I catch not even a breath of self here” (Griffin 118-119). His father was the schoolmaster and he dictated Heinrich’s every action and thought. He would list the school boys he could not associate himself with, who he needed to befriend, and required Heinrich to tell him any secrets he learned of his companions. As a result, he did not have anybody who wanted to be his friend and was lacking in a social life. This overwhelming presence that chastised him at every turn and the lack of human interaction and sentiment led

After reading the article I concur with the author’s views on colleges coddling students who are offended by words or small actions is doing more harm than good. The article covered the issues in detail and gave many examples of the conception before the 1980’s when children could roam free in the world with less worry for parents to where next generation who had more protective parents because of the increase of kidnappings, removal of physical activities in school, school shootings, and bullying after the 1980’s.The authors discuss how coddling is not good for students, society, the workplace, government or the future. Coddling removes cognitive thinking and the use of good critical thinking skills. Coddling will force students to think with emotion instead of logic. Society will not always bend over backwards to appease ones feelings or change to make someone feel comfortable. Thinking with emotions can create a fog that can hinder ones view of reality.

Looking at the actual amount of conformity present in schools, as opposed to the ideal amount, it seems that schools have moved past a healthy level to a point where students don’t often have to genuinely think for themselves. On a basic level, students don’t have to plan or use their judgment to ensure that they arrive to class on time. They become dependent on bells to tell them when they need to be in class and when they are late (Source B). On a more complex level, students rarely have to use their problem solving skills to come to their own conclusions. Learning in the classroom is typically centered around the memorization of facts and methods as opposed to critical thinking. Students are requested to learn the details and regurgitate them on test day, despite the fact that very little of it will be remembered later on. On the rare occasions when students are confronted by a critical thinking question, they often struggle as they have little practice in this area. If schools were to put more emphasis on individuality, where students could think freely and responsibly and contribute their own ideas, students would better themselves and society

Mandatory, enforced schooling is common all over the world, and is generally seen as a public good, and a privilege of first world countries. However, author and teacher John Gatto argues that mandatory schooling destroys your ability to be free thinkers and therefore should not exist, in his piece “Against School”. Despite his effective use of ethos, Gatto’s argument fails to be convincing due to logical fallacies, and a lack of evidence or first hand experience.

The flaw with this kind of teaching is that it could create rebels who do not completely understand the idea of what it is to be a free thinker. It doesn't mean that they should just turn everything into anarchy and do as they please; it just means that they should be cautious of the information they are learning because not everything they learn is completely right all the time. Sometimes we must be able to argue with the text and consider our own opinions and beliefs.

Within Germany, a country torn between the rise of a totalitarian party that determined a superior race, Nazism, and the survival of the oppressed, young Germans face a test between a sense of self and society. Individuality would be suppressed within this new type of society, and being different would be the deadliest obstruction to life. The violations of the rights to life, religion, and speech are relived through the stories of the German youth that lived through this haunting time, whose name would be tarnished in their struggle to survive. In their fight, their morals would be challenged and influenced until the Nazi regime ended, and the violation of human dignity would leave them wondering if life was worth living after all. The Nazi Party grew under its leader, Adolf Hitler, which struggled not to use violence against those that disagreed with their views, starting with armed groups known as the Strum Abteilung, who pledged to be ready to sacrifice their life in the aims of the Nazi Party and absolute loyalty to their leader. Their cruel intolerance began by their strong nationalism and their hatred of democracy and communism, and they gained power through the economic depressions around the world, controlling the media by instilling fear and propaganda that influenced a strong belief in their leaders. This belief in the leaders would soon seem to override Church influence when the official body of the Church failed to do anything significant

“A movement is arising, undirected and driven largely by students, to scrub campuses clean of words, ideas, and subjects that might cause discomfort or give offense” (Lukianoff and Haidt 44). Colleges are sheltering their students from words and ideas that students do not like or are found to be offensive. Affecting their education and cognitive skills, scientists are warning colleges to refrain from coddling the students and allowing other viewpoints to be spoken. People are speaking their minds, saying their own views; however, some people are over sensitive and take these viewpoints offensively. In the article “The Coddling of the American Mind,” Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt successfully argues using rhetorical questions, specific examples, and affective visuals that protecting college students from words and ideas deteriorates their education and mental health.

From being independent thinkers to knowing what is right from wrong in our society, however, things are not always as black and white as they seem. Although we might know what is right within our society, our right might be wrong in other societies. We have a democratic society, but others don’t have that luxury. Even though North Korea may be a communist country, South Korea is a democratic country, but they have their own point of view on things, as well do other democratic countries. It is the norm in South Korea and in many other countries to follow the social hierarchy, but when we look at our society, although we always state to respect our elders, we expect respect from everyone whether they’re older or younger. By being exposed to the new culture norms, it would benefit me in understanding how others see

Susan Griffin's "Our Secret" is a study in psychology. It is a look into the human mind to see what makes people do the things they do and in particular what makes people commit acts of violence. She isolates the first half of the twentieth century and in particular the era of the Second World War as a basis for her study. The essay discusses a number of people but they all tie in to Heinrich Himmler. He is the extreme case, he who can be linked directly to every single death in the concentration camps. Griffin seeks to examine Himmler because if she can discern a monster like Himmler than everyone else simply falls into place. The essay also tries to deduce why something like the Holocaust, although never mentioned directly, can

Students are not allowed to make their own decisions. In the article, “Constant Frustration and Occasional Violence: The Legacy of American High School”, Alfie Kohn asks, “How logical is it to expect that teenagers who have been coerced into following directions will develop into responsible decision-makers” (3)? The ability to make decisions is part of the process amid alternative possibilities to make a choice, in terms of action or belief. Students in the American educational system, cannot make their own decisions because they are not given choices. Their opinions are not asked, therefore they cannot express themselves about what they think, instead the only choice given is to follow instructions. Kohn adds, “What could be worse, for kids who

Education is meant to broaden the minds of incoming generations to the diverse cultures and aspects of the world. While its purpose is meant to open up horizons, it has also held up the task of oppressing opposing thoughts and judgments. Author James Baldwin exposes this truth in his article, “A Talk to Teachers,” as he chastises the education system’s contradicting actions inasmuch as the support of an all-encompassing education while scorning unconventional thinking. Baldwin’s purpose to confront the antithetical activity to hopefully change the system’s ways is attempted by persuading teachers who “deal with the minds and hearts of young people” that a paradox of education occurs when students develop a conscience--they become “at war” with society--is valid in that education should allow development for individual thoughts and varied opinions to challenge for the reconstruction of society’s oppressive nature.

An American Education has drastically changed over time, and it is widely known that things have changed. Students in their generation and ones prior are acutely aware and morally affected about subjects regarding

He lays awake at night clutching his bedsheets in guilt, because of his want, and to want anything at all is blasphemy. Because of his intellect, his teachers ridicule him constantly. He tries to dumb himself down and squash down his natural curiosity to fit in, but he is lashed nevertheless. “It is not good to be different from our brothers, but it is evil to be superior to them.” (Rand 21) This quote reflects on the fact that is any man exhibits superior traits to that of their colleagues, they will experience a harsh degree of backlash. Because of the push for sameness, if one man is unintelligent, all others must be the

First, I will start out by talking about the importance of a socially just education. As our world becomes more diverse every day, as teachers we need to understand how to be mindful of every student’s beliefs and culture. In order to give every student, the education they deserve, teachers need to teach as if everyone is the same, not to treat one culture better than the other. It is in human nature to divide up into groups of people that are like you, so naturally this would happen in a classroom. I hope that in the new age of teaching, that myself and other teachers will break this notion apart. Cultures should be brought together in order to understand one another and their views. Teaching is not always about curriculum, but rather an introspective look on bringing groups of students together to learn as a whole.