Hailey Bauer, West Middle School, is the winner of the Ella Holtzen Memorial Tolerance Week Art Contest.
Her teacher is Holly McManigal.
Suria DeLeon Moreno, North Middle School, was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Yury Lucas Gomez, West Middle School, was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Isabella Equival-Pedrazam, Bishop Heelan High School, was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Anna Woodford, North Middle Homeschool, was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Adalynn Manjarrez Cortez, North Middle School, was awarded an Honorable Mention.
Her teacher is Lindsay Attikisson.
Logan Hageman, Hinton Middle School, was awarded an Honorable Mention for this essay.
I Am The Witness
I am the witness to the cruelty of the world. I am the witness to the torture, pain, suffering, and death of millions of people. I am the witness to the malice some humans have. I am the witness to the length humans may go to despise certain groups.
But, I am also the witness to the joy and the feeling of it all being over. I am the witness to all the pain and suffering ending. I am the witness to the reuniting of families and friends. I am the witness to the good and the bad.
I am the witness, but I am the victim too. Because of this, I was the person making fun of people, and bullying people, which caused more victims. Then, the cycle continues. I was the bully, up until last year, while learning about the holocaust. Then I started being nice to everyone no matter what, whether they are my grandma, my dad, my friends, or a stranger. We are all the witness, the victim, and the bully, too.
When you see someone get bullied, what do you think about? You probably wish that you could help them. You might think that they feel helpless, and that you remember being in a situation like this. But, you decide to do nothing. You could easily help, but you choose to do nothing. The witness is no better than the bully, and your guilt does not purify you.
Why do we classify some people as different? Why do we acknowledge that they are different just because they are tall or small? To us someone would be different from us because of their age. But what about someone who is deaf? Their differences would be how someone looks. To a blind person, a difference is the sound of someone’s voice. To blind and deaf people, someone would be different because of how they feel. We are all different, we all have something that makes us interesting. Imagine, you see someone who is the complete opposite of you, but when you go talk to them, you find out you have the same interests. This would be shocking to you, because they seemed so different. The differences you have with someone makes the common interests you have with them even more special. Everyone is different, but being different is what makes us all the same, and that’s what makes us human.
I am the witness to the cruelty of the world. I am the witness to the torture, pain, suffering, and death of millions of people. I am the witness to the malice some humans have. I am the witness to the length humans may go to despise certain groups.
But, I am also the witness to the joy and the feeling of it all being over. I am the witness to all the pain and suffering ending. I am the witness to the reuniting of families and friends. I am the witness to the good and the bad.
I am the witness, but I am the victim too. Because of this, I was the person making fun of people, and bullying people, which caused more victims. Then, the cycle continues. I was the bully, up until last year, while learning about the holocaust. Then I started being nice to everyone no matter what, whether they are my grandma, my dad, my friends, or a stranger. We are all the witness, the victim, and the bully, too.
When you see someone get bullied, what do you think about? You probably wish that you could help them. You might think that they feel helpless, and that you remember being in a situation like this. But, you decide to do nothing. You could easily help, but you choose to do nothing. The witness is no better than the bully, and your guilt does not purify you.
Why do we classify some people as different? Why do we acknowledge that they are different just because they are tall or small? To us someone would be different from us because of their age. But what about someone who is deaf? Their differences would be how someone looks. To a blind person, a difference is the sound of someone’s voice. To blind and deaf people, someone would be different because of how they feel. We are all different, we all have something that makes us interesting. Imagine, you see someone who is the complete opposite of you, but when you go talk to them, you find out you have the same interests. This would be shocking to you, because they seemed so different. The differences you have with someone makes the common interests you have with them even more special. Everyone is different, but being different is what makes us all the same, and that’s what makes us human.
