Friday, August 11, 2006
Paper Clips
I cried last night. Of course, it was because I watched a very moving documentary called PAPER CLIPS.
It's about a small town in Tennessee trying to teach middle school children about diversity, tolerance, and the tolls of intolerance and hatred. They chose to teach about the holocaust. In the teaching of this course, one child mentioned that he could not fathom 6 million jewish deaths. "What's 6 million?" How do you visualize 6 million?
So the school started a project, to collect 6 million paper clips. Something I did not know is that a paper clip has meaning. It was designed by a Norwegian and was used by the Norwegians during the war as a symbol of some sort.
By the time the project was over, they had collected nearly 29 million paper clips. People from all over the world would send them. Some sent one for each person in their family that they lost. Some sent one, with a note, while others sent boxes. A school class in Germany sent one a piece each with a note of apology (in German) to Anne Frank.
I won't go into detail, but the final memorial that they found and refurbished and is now at home in Tennessee is indeed inspiring. A true piece of history turned from sadness into a memorial.
This is a truly surprising, bright, discovery filled, sad and delightful piece.
Yours,
Lola
It's about a small town in Tennessee trying to teach middle school children about diversity, tolerance, and the tolls of intolerance and hatred. They chose to teach about the holocaust. In the teaching of this course, one child mentioned that he could not fathom 6 million jewish deaths. "What's 6 million?" How do you visualize 6 million?
So the school started a project, to collect 6 million paper clips. Something I did not know is that a paper clip has meaning. It was designed by a Norwegian and was used by the Norwegians during the war as a symbol of some sort.
By the time the project was over, they had collected nearly 29 million paper clips. People from all over the world would send them. Some sent one for each person in their family that they lost. Some sent one, with a note, while others sent boxes. A school class in Germany sent one a piece each with a note of apology (in German) to Anne Frank.
I won't go into detail, but the final memorial that they found and refurbished and is now at home in Tennessee is indeed inspiring. A true piece of history turned from sadness into a memorial.
This is a truly surprising, bright, discovery filled, sad and delightful piece.
Yours,
Lola
# posted by Qeltic @ 3:28 PM 
