Museum of tolerance - Essay Example

Museum of Tolerance When I first visited the Museum of Tolerance, I saw how the blacks were oppressed by the whites in the past in the mini-video that was provided to us. During 1800s, African-Americans were kept away from whites in social places such as schools, churches as well as public transportation. However, the most extreme form of violation against the minorities in the years between 1880 and 1980 was lynching. Lynching was the main cause of approximately 90% of the African-American deaths.

Additionally, all hate crimes that were presented by the clip showed that the largest percentage of the crimes was presented against the African-Americans. The movie further expressed on how the blood of the oppressed flowed in large volume to the popcorn. The learning of the oppressions African-Americans underwent made me doubt of wanting to know more about the past occurrences, but the tour study had to continue. According to the information provided in the museum, the Holocaust which involved the eradication of the Jews was specifically a planned mass-slaughter.

The Jews were not only rounded up and shot-down, but also slaughtered. As a result of this, majority of the young couples committed suicide instead of waiting for their separation. During this time, Hitler called for the silencing of any person who raised opinion against him. In addition to these, a video clip showed how 2 million Jews were forced to occupy a very small area (Warsaw Ghetto) and left to die of hunger. In another graphic clip, I also saw how babies were mishandled; infants were thrown out of the trucks during the deportation of people.

Just learning that the babies who were thrown away belonged to women who were forcefully deported from their places was horrifying. I would not wish to think of genocide like the Holocaust taking place again, but it might occur. The only thing that reduces the chances of such genocide from taking place again is the fact that we now know what may happen if it happens. The Germans did not know. The only way such genocide will happen is by us letting it happen. In my life I have been discriminated, but it cannot be compared to what took place in 1800s.

I remember being left out by my high school friends during the formation of study groups. The reason for them leaving me out of their groups was that I was a slow learner. The discrimination not only made me feel out of place, but also worsened my academic performance. It was as a result of it that I tailed in most of the continuous assessment tests. However, I later managed to cope up with the situation as well as make up new friends with whom we studied together. In connection with my discrimination experience, I can ascertain that the clips in the museum had significant impact on me.

I have read and heard of African-Americans being mistreated by the white-Americans since the creation of slave codes during the pre-civil war period which was later substituted with segregation laws as well as practices to single out blacks. But I never knew that the current African-Americans still have the same feeling the African-Americans had towards the white-Americans. Apart from learning about the oppressions the minority faced in 1800s, my visiting of the Museum of Tolerance also made me realize some things about myself.

For instance, I learnt that it is very hard for me to mistreat any person. The feeling I had towards the babies who were thrown out of the trucks made me learn that I value life very much.