Meredith Shapiro | 8th Grade, Hillel Day School
Meredith Shapiro | 8th Grade, Hillel Day School
Statement of Purpose:
Statement of Purpose:
I wrote this piece to emphasize that still today people are harmed or killed merely due to race or religion. To me, a better world does not look like people getting harassed for what they look like or what they believe in. A better world is not being bored at synagogue and reviewing a laminated sheet of how to protect yourself in case of an active shooter because that is a genuine concern for Jews in America. A better world is not walking home at night in fear because you are a person of color and apparently that is now a justifiable reason to be maltreated by law enforcement in a place you try your best to call home, even though those around you cannot bear to call you neighbor. A better world is a world without laws such as the gay panic defense law which stands as reasoning for a member of the LGBTQ+ community to be attacked or even killed because who they love or how they identify made someone go into a “panic” and incite violence. These expectations do not state some outrageous concept, merely that people should be treated as people. Discrimination did not cease with the Shoah; it is astonishing how far the world is from this fundamental ideal. With that in mind it is up to us all to make the choices to make those dreams a reality.
I wrote this piece to emphasize that still today people are harmed or killed merely due to race or religion. To me, a better world does not look like people getting harassed for what they look like or what they believe in. A better world is not being bored at synagogue and reviewing a laminated sheet of how to protect yourself in case of an active shooter because that is a genuine concern for Jews in America. A better world is not walking home at night in fear because you are a person of color and apparently that is now a justifiable reason to be maltreated by law enforcement in a place you try your best to call home, even though those around you cannot bear to call you neighbor. A better world is a world without laws such as the gay panic defense law which stands as reasoning for a member of the LGBTQ+ community to be attacked or even killed because who they love or how they identify made someone go into a “panic” and incite violence. These expectations do not state some outrageous concept, merely that people should be treated as people. Discrimination did not cease with the Shoah; it is astonishing how far the world is from this fundamental ideal. With that in mind it is up to us all to make the choices to make those dreams a reality.
Now We Can Never Know
Now We Can Never Know
Do I believe in destiny?
Am I a man of God?
Can I do what must be done?
My team sees more snakes,
A vagrant and her small children
We shout for their cease of movement
It is the end of the road
They must fall
I must cease their poison for good
My Einsatzgruppen and I unload and surround those unworthy of life
I see their dirty clothing to match their insides
Their evil will resist my kind
‘Tis my job to protect them
“Gather together, JEWS!”
Even the name fills me with disgust
My group circles around the street scum
I hear my Commander:
Ready? Bereit?
I stare down at the Jews but see now what I had not before
Aim! Ziel!
The mother is saying a prayer
Fir-
Time stops
I lock eyes with the Jew I had seen as garbage
It is merely a moment but I feel
Free from the descrimination around me
For just a second,
I see the human
Not any outrageous nose
But wide eyes
Frozen in fear from my barrel
Aimed at them
I feel their soul reach upon mine as to beg
Please spare my family
We are poor
Unfortunate
But innocent
As if to prove
My people killed not Jesus
We hurt no children
We wish not bad will upon thou
The woman’s lips
Taking their final breath
The woman’s eyes
Fearful but as to beg for life
The woman’s arms
Clutching her children
She tries to save them
Could it be?
I now see
See the humanity
I cannot shoot
But no one else refrains
I have no choice
Time resumes
Fire! Schießen!
The mother exhales as I shoot
Her final breath
Saveable
I used to be sure but now all I can do is ask:
Do I believe in destiny?
Am I a man of God?
Can I do what must be done?
These were millions
These were Jews
Victims of discrimination
Victims of a thoughtless man
Caring not what he could do for the world
But what the world could do for him
Had he a choice?
Do I believe in destiny?
Am I a man of God?
Can I do what must be done?
My team sees more snakes,
A vagrant and her small children
We shout for their cease of movement
It is the end of the road
They must fall
I must cease their poison for good
My Einsatzgruppen and I unload and surround those unworthy of life
I see their dirty clothing to match their insides
Their evil will resist my kind
‘Tis my job to protect them
“Gather together, JEWS!”
Even the name fills me with disgust
My group circles around the street scum
I hear my Commander:
Ready? Bereit?
I stare down at the Jews but see now what I had not before
Aim! Ziel!
The mother is saying a prayer
Fir-
Time stops
I lock eyes with the Jew I had seen as garbage
It is merely a moment but I feel
Free from the descrimination around me
For just a second,
I see the human
Not any outrageous nose
But wide eyes
Frozen in fear from my barrel
Aimed at them
I feel their soul reach upon mine as to beg
Please spare my family
We are poor
Unfortunate
But innocent
As if to prove
My people killed not Jesus
We hurt no children
We wish not bad will upon thou
The woman’s lips
Taking their final breath
The woman’s eyes
Fearful but as to beg for life
The woman’s arms
Clutching her children
She tries to save them
Could it be?
I now see
See the humanity
I cannot shoot
But no one else refrains
I have no choice
Time resumes
Fire! Schießen!
The mother exhales as I shoot
Her final breath
Saveable
I used to be sure but now all I can do is ask:
Do I believe in destiny?
Am I a man of God?
Can I do what must be done?
These were millions
Victims of discrimination
Victims of a thoughtless man
Caring not what he could do for the world
But what the world could do for him
Had he a choice?
A normal day
A normal job
A normal deed
Something is wrong
Or is it someone
A broken tail light
Investigate?
Pull over
I approach the vehicle
A black man and his girlfriend
I express the trouble
The man thinks he knows more than myself
But he is merely a young black man
It is unexplainable but
He is different
I like him not
I trust him not
AAAAH!
He reaches forwards and this is when I am alarmed
SIR!
I raise my firearm to him knowing any moment he is gone
I WILL SHOO-
I fire; Time stops
I can see the fear rushing through his mind
Peering out at his hand
He held his license and wallet
He had no way of killing me yet
I shot him four times
Four times?
Four times.
Four times I took away his family
Four times I took away his future
Four times I stared past my loaded firearm and thought
The young man should die
This young man is a threat
This young black man with his girlfriend beside him should be over
I want to say
You are reckless
You are a danger
I am sorry
This man’s lips
Only open enough to see any happiness has left
This man’s eyes
Locked on me fearfully
But worst this man’s arms
One less than seconds away from wincing in pain
Another still reaching for his license
Could it be?
Now I see
See the innocence
I should not have shot
My fellow men had questioned it not so
I had no choice
Time resumes
BANG!
His breath feels the pain first
His wince
Deafening
But what can I say; This is
A normal day
A normal job
A normal deed
This was Philando Castile
A black man
Victim of discrimination
Victim of an ignorant man
Caring not that his thoughts and actions were unjustified
But that this man’s doing appeared unjustified
Had he a choice?
A normal day
A normal job
A normal deed
Something is wrong
Or is it someone
A broken tail light
Investigate?
Pull over
I approach the vehicle
A black man and his girlfriend
I express the trouble
The man thinks he knows more than myself
But he is merely a young black man
It is unexplainable but
He is different
I like him not
I trust him not
AAAAH!
He reaches forwards and this is when I am alarmed
SIR!
I raise my firearm to him knowing any moment he is gone
I WILL SHOO-
I fire; Time stops
I can see the fear rushing through his mind
Peering out at his hand
He held his license and wallet
He had no way of killing me yet
I shot him four times
Four times?
Four times.
Four times I took away his family
Four times I took away his future
Four times I stared past my loaded firearm and thought
The young man should die
This young man is a threat
This young black man with his girlfriend beside him should be over
I want to say
You are reckless
You are a danger
I am sorry
This man’s lips
Only open enough to see any happiness has left
This man’s eyes
Locked on me fearfully
But worst this man’s arms
One less than seconds away from wincing in pain
Another still reaching for his license
Could it be?
Now I see
See the innocence
I should not have shot
My fellow men had questioned it not so
I had no choice
Time resumes
BANG!
His breath feels the pain first
His wince
Deafening
But what can I say; This is
A normal day
A normal job
A normal deed
This was Philando Castile
Victim of discrimination
Victim of an ignorant man
Caring not that his thoughts and actions were unjustified
But that this man’s doing appeared unjustified
Had he a choice?