Let's make the load heavier for a moment, shall we?
My father retired this past year, after being a history professor for at least 35 years. There were two main classes that he taught: Western Civilization, which was just a basic, introductory class that most freshmen end up taking, and History 143: The Holocaust.
No one in my family is Jewish. I've never asked, and never been told, but I do not believe that anyone in my father's family was involved in the Holocaust in any way...as a victim or a murderer. Whatever gave him his lifelong interest in studying and teaching the events surrounding the Holocaust, I do not know, but over the years his knowledge and experience in the subject has rubbed off on me.
In two days, the world will mark the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, the primary Nazi death camp. If you know any of the places associated with the Holocaust, you at least know this one, but there were dozens more. The number of people alive today who found ways to survive the experience of the death camps is dwindling. It's one of those pivotal moments in history, like the end of the Civil War or WWI, where we've just about lost our chance to record any more first-hand stories. It would be ignorant of us to think that the tragedies of the Holocaust could not happen again. It would be ignorant to think that they're not happening already.
It's nearly impossible to ask people to take time out of their everyday routine to stop and learn something new. I ask you to go here to browse, but more specifically, to read and listen to this. I have heard her story spoken outloud, and it never ceases to shorten my breath. I've been to the Holocaust Memorial Museum in Washington, D.C. a few times, and it is absolutely impossible to walk out of there without tears and an overwhelming sadness. And once you experience that feeling, it is also nearly impossible to imagine it happening again. And yet it does.
I don't pretend to be an overly political person. You won't pull me in to a debate for very long, and my passionate causes rarely involve relieving the plight of human suffering. But we must pick and choose our causes; it is impossible for one person to put energy into fighting every injustice. So at least for this moment, I can give you some links, and tell you this story, and hope that you'll take a few moments to read, and to learn something new.
First They Came for the Jews
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.
~Pastor Martin Niemöller
- deahsella
- "We write to taste life twice, in the moment, and in introspection." Anais Nin "Immerse your soul in love." Radiohead
6 comments:
Man, that poem brings a tear to my eye.
I saw Elie Weisel speak at PSU. He said the same thing. He said that we were in a unique position to learn from Holocaust survivors. The history was so close we could still touch it. That always stuck with me. I went home and talked to my grandfather about WWII.
When I studied in Germany, I was talking to my host sister about the holocaust and she had a completely different opinion of what went on. I am sure the history that I have learned is not the absolute truth either. We almost got in a fight about facts. She was taught that there were no experiments and the only deaths were caused from starvation and illness. WHAT? I am still appalled about this because we visited Dachau (which was only a "work camp." ) and you could still smell death in the air in 1990.
Jack - yes. Had you ever read that before?
Les - I saw him speak, too; he is amazing. It's sickening how many people actually believe that very little of the Holocaust ever happened. Watch "Dr. Death". Of course there are good reasons for them to want to deny it, but accepting it and being angry at it, and making sure those feelings help assure that it won't happen again, that's what they need to do. Not cover it up. That doesn't solve anything.
Mr. Death...Fred Leuchter is insane! It was hard for me to watch after seeing the "gas chambers/shower rooms" and "ovens" in person. For someone to say it was all a big hoax is unbelieveable. I can't even begin to talk about it. It has been a few years since I saw it and I am still upset. The only good part of that doc was the coffee cup shot with the creamer. In fact, we stole that shot for Adam's junior film...
No, I never had.
That's so odd to me...I learned of it so long ago, from my dad obviously, and I just always thought it was something everyone's heard. Apparently not!
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