As a christian I don't know what to say about this but I feel it should be commemorated by all. I can't begin to imagine the horrors involved or the ongoing mental strength of those who survived but I send my commiserations to all forum descendants of those who died because of who they were rather than anything they had done.
First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
Because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.
Martin Niemöller
“There is always a well-known solution to every human problem - neat, plausible, and wrong.” H.L. Mencken
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It was an act of incredible inhumanity and sadly, such acts continue to this day, possibly not so calculated in terms of magnitude and process but they are still happening.
It wasn't just religion either that the Nazis targetted, if you were culturally different - Romani gypsies, black, asian - disabled, homosexual, lots of other things that could see you marked out as 'different' that was enough to see you packaged up into the group of 'bad' and 'unworthy' and sent to a concentration camp. We should all now speak out for those people as well as listening to the survivors and their ancestors so we can maybe begin to hope this kind of action, on any scale, ends.
Having visited Auschwitz/Birkenau a few years ago, I am filled with admiration for anyone who survived, and has somehow found the strength to talk about their experiences. There have been some interesting TV programmes the last few days - I watched Freddy Knoller`s Story on BBC 2 last week, and was amazed at his humour and his spirit.
A lesson to us all.
Barbara
― Louisa May Alcott, Little Women
The Radio5Live phone-in this morning was on this topic and the first caller was a denier (he must have lied to pass their vetting so no honour involved from the word go). The ranting, venom and vitriol was astonishing, deplorable and horrific - he was cut off within seconds but the taste of the call lingered. All he achieved was to increase the sensibilities of those who called in to say that this ghastly part of human history should never be forgotten and it will not because those who share feelings of humanity outnumber those who don't. DD
Elizabeth
Never allow yourself to be made a victim.
Accept no ones definition of your life
Define yourself........
Harvey Fierstein