International Holocaust Remembrance Day

[Behind the Aegis]

On this day, in 1945, the Soviet troops liberated Auschwitz-Birkenau, the largest concentration camp. It was the beginning of the end of the Nazi death camps. Though most, if not all, of the Allied forces were aware of these chambers of horror, it was when the world started to become aware. It was also when the denial started and continues to this day. Jews, Roma, the disabled, gays, and various peoples lives ended in horrific ways in this, and other camps.



Never Forget!

[Warren DeMontague]

1. K&R

[pinboy3niner]

2. K&R

[LeftishBrit]

3. Never forget.

[Heidi]

4. Kick!

[Ken Burch]

5. K&R

What happened then must never happen to anyone again.

[tavalon]

6. Absolutely, we need to never forget

Sadly, genocide continues apace in many areas of the world, so I would venture to say, we are a forgetful species. That said, I do not tolerate Holocaust Deniers. It isn't a differing opinion, it's a lie. The Holocaust happened, no matter what someone wants to believe. I wish it had never happened but my wish doesn't change a single fact or a single horrific murder from that awful, awful place and time in history.

I have whistleblower genes so I know I'm unable to empathize with those who ran these camps and said nothing, did nothing to save their fellow human beings and in fact, didn't even see them as fellow human beings. I think it's okay not to be able to empathize with such "people".

As an aside, I don't think I could visit that place or any of the other unholy sites. I went to the Holocaust museum in DC. I cried and cried.

[UnrepentantLiberal]

7. Horrible.

My father was stationed in Germany after they were defeated. (He had been on his way to invade Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped.) He said he couldn't comprehend how the German people could do something so horrible. Of course most of the German people weren't aware of The Final Solution. But they were aware of how racist the Nazis were when they came to power.

This is why racism needs to be constantly challenged. In can very quickly evolve into a holocaust.

[newfie11]

8. K&R

[MadHound]

9. A shame we don't have a day of rememberance for all such genocidal tragedies,

Such as the purges of Russia, which killed three times as many people as the Holocaust, but was covered up because it was done by an erstwhile ally.

Or the genocides committed by America against Africans, African Americans, and Native Americans, but since these were committed by Americans, it is all swept under the rug.

It is time to remember all such tragedies.

[SQUEE]

10. I want to say, I agree. This is not just a day for us to remember our own.

This is a day to remember ALL that have been lost, and of all colors, creeds and religions.
A day to cry out we will not let this happen again.

LE'OLAM AL TISHKACH

[Behind the Aegis]

11. Kick

[etherealtruth]

12. To never forget

[LeftInTX]

13. K&R

[garshin]

14. How, why it happened - the deep origins of the Holocaust

Hitler did not come out of nothing, and the Jews of Europe had reasons for not acting to save themselves until it was too late. The Holocaust was an end point of historical processes that can be traced back to at least Napoleon and a little before. This book gets closest to explaining it.

[HeiressofBickworth]

23. Read about the pogroms of the 14th century

in A Distant Mirror by Barbara Tuchman. There have always been actions against Jews in Europe -- and probably other places as well. It's just that the Nazis were more methodical and had greater technological capabilities to create a greater Holocaust than had ever been seen before. But the idea was nothing new.

When i lived in Germany in the mid 1960's, I went to Dachau -- I'll never forget it. I cried at each mound of ashes thinking of the vast number of unknown and uncounted human beings who were there. I believe that the idea that German people were uninformed about the death camps is highly unlikely. They were certainly aware that Jews in their neighborhoods were taken and never returned. Those who lived near the crematoriums (like Dachau) certainly would have smelled the burning hair and flesh. And there was enough publicity and speeches about a "final solution" which was a thinly veiled allusion to the total destruction of the Jewish people. No, I think that their inherent anti-semitism helped them develop a "national amnesia". This amnesia allowed them to place their humanity aside and do nothing.

[garshin]

15. hyperlink didn't work

Addition to previous post: This book, Emancipation: How Liberating Europe's Jews from the Ghetto Led to Revolution and Renaissance gets closest to explaining hwo the Holocaust came to be.

[azurnoir]

18. Thanks n/t

[Nye Bevan]

16. The most evil crime ever committed.

Let us never forget.

[OneMoreDemocrat]

17. Thanks...

I almost forgot.

[Behind the Aegis]

21. I am sure you did. You're welcome.

[William769]

19. Recommended.

[backscatter712]

20. In 1945, Eisenhower ordered the camps Allies liberated to be photographed.

Last edited Sun Jan 27, 2013, 11:04 PM - Edit history (1)

He personally visited several camps, as did General Patton (despite being one of the top BAMFs of the war, he threw up when he saw the piles of bodies at Buchenwald - who can blame him?). Eisenhower ordered German civilians to visit the camp of Ohrdruf, to see what their leaders had done in their name. He also ordered American soldiers to see the camps, and he brought journalists and members of Congress to see them.

It was clear Eisenhower wanted the world to see the Holocaust - he knew people would deny it happened, so he had it documented as much as possible, and brought as many witnesses as possible.

And still, we have assholes who claim it didn't happen, then turn around and say the Nazis didn't do a good enough job...

[nadinbrzezinski]

22. And this morning we had what for the moment

Has been charged as a hate crime.

http://www.eastcountymagazine.org/node/12321

This is how it starts...and why things like this need not just coverage, but...