The Perils of Indiffernce- Wiesel

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Top Speeches in History: “The Perils of Indifference” Analysis It is sometimes human nature to turn a blind eye to the suffering of fellow human beings, simply because it is troublesome to become involved in the misfortune of others. Attempting to combat this fact, Mr. Elie Wiesel, a survivor of the infamous Holocaust, delivered his famous speech, “The Perils of Indifference.” He did so successfully, delivering a speech that would stay imprinted in the minds, and in the hearts of all those who heard it. Delivered in the East Room of the White House on April 12th, 1999, Wiesel’s speech was a huge stepping stone towards the extermination of indifference from the face of the earth. As a part of the Millennium Lecture Series, hosted by President Bill Clinton and his wife Hilary, Wiesel delivered his speech to an audience of well known and influential leaders. Among these leaders were scientists, scholars, and other creative individuals. Holding his own among these brilliant minds, Wiesel’s credibility as a Holocaust survivor as well as a world famous author gave his speech the respect it needed to influence the world. While Wiesel’s excellent credibility played a huge part in his speech’s eminence, the speech’s monumental success can also be credited to Wiesel’s poetic and meaningful content, as well as his bold, audacious wording. For these reasons, “The Perils of Indifference” deserves its rank as one of the greatest speeches of the 21st century because its emotional intensity truly made it one of the most influential speeches of all time. One of the greatest aspects of Wiesel’s speech lies in the fact that he possessed great credibility as a Holocaust survivor, which earned his speech an extensive amount of respect. Known for his prominent position as a Nobel Laureate, a publisher of over thirty-five well known Holocaust novels, and of course, a Holocaust
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