“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be an oppressor. But most of all, thou shalt not be a bystander.” -Yohudo Bauer, Jewish historian

Read the three scenes from All But My Life. 1. In these scenes, who were the bystanders? 2. Did these bystanders harm or help others, or were they neutral? How so? 3. How might different action of the bystanders have changed the event in each scene? 4. How do our roles change from setting to setting or even within the same setting? Discuss a time at school when you were the victim, oppressor, or bystander.

What happens when we do or say NOTHING? 1. What happens if we are silent when we witness and act of prejudice, injustice or violence against another person? What happen when we do nothing in the face of such things. 2. Was there a time when you were a bystander to violence, whether physical or verbal, such as a classmate being bullied. What did – or didn’t – you do? What do you wish you would have done differently? 3. What forces, internal and external, keep us from taking actions in such moments? Are some more excusable than others? What can be done to diminish the forces that keep us from taking action?

“Thou shalt not be a victim. Thou shalt not be an oppressor. But most of all, thou shalt not be a bystander.” -Yohudo Bauer, Jewish historian

Return to your desk. On your own, write your responses to the questions below. Please put your name, block and color on your paper. 1. Why do you think Bauer presents being bystanders a the worst role to take? 2. Is it worse to be a bystander or worse to be an oppressor?