Forgiveness and justice can be hard to reconcile. One can forgive but there is responsibility for the one that needs forgiveness. One is expected to repent or have remorse of their actions. After the encounter with the SS man Wiesenthal narrates to his fellow prison mates what had happened. Arthur was blunt with his comments: “A superman has asked a subhuman to do something which is superhuman. If you had forgiven him, you would never have forgiven yourself all of your life.” P66. Josek felt that the SS man deserved the torment as justice for what he did, he says “such torment is only a small part of his punishment.” P66 Both Josek and Arthur felt that Wiesenthal because he was not the one wronged.
Dith Pran who was a witness to and survivor of the Cambodian killing fields says he could not forgive the leadership of the Khmer Rouge who he blames for the killings. He says “They were brainwashed. More importantly, they were forced to kill. If they didn’t follow the orders … they would have been killed….”p231. this perspective resonate with because most of those who carried out the killings of the Jews were under the orders of the Nazi and would have themselves and their families killed if they did not follow the orders.
Desmond Tutu states “…forgiveness is not facile or cheap. It is a costly business that makes those who are willing to forgive even more extra ordinary”. P267. Tutu Was appointed to head the truth and reconciliation commission to address the injustice of apartheid in South Africa. Both black and white were willing to forgive. I agree that forgiving is better for both
The book provides an opportunity to look oneself and ask the same question in this circumstance or in other situations in our lives. Wiesenthal found himself before a man whose only wish was to confess before he died. We will never know for sure if he had remorse or as those who responded in the book thought that he wanted forgiveness for his own seek. The other question is; can one forgive on behalf of others? Wiesenthal friends in the camp thought that one can only forgive only that what had been done to them and not to a group of people. I think forgiving is not forgetting nor excusing the crime that the wrongdoer has committed. I think forgiveness is to essentially let go of someone and acknowledging that you will not be controlled by the anger and hurt that the crime has caused.