After describing what the Hungarian authorities and the Nazis had done to his family, Wiesel found a way to close out his remarks with a proclamation of faith. “In the final analysis,” he said, “I believe in man in spite of men.” He continued: I still cling to words, for it is we who decide whether they become spears or balm, carriers of bigotry or vehicles of understanding, whether they are used to curse or to heal, whether they are here to cause shame or to give comfort. The power of words. I wondered how President Obama was hearing what Wiesel was saying, and whether he felt any fresh tug
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