Precis of "The Perils of Indifference"

      Elie Wiesel's speech "The Perils of Indifference" (1999) asserts that being indifferent to a situation is far more damaging than any other type of feeling toward the matter. Wiesel develops his assertion by providing historical references to events in which action, rather than indifference, could have saved countless lives; for example, Wiesel mentions both world wars, the assassinations of the Kennedys and Dr. Martin Luther King jr., and also of the numerous civil wars. Wiesel's purpose is to inspire people to act and help the children in this world that are dying every minute from violence, hunger, and disease. The intended audience for this speech is people in a position to create change and have an impact on the children, specifically those who hold an office in the United States government.