Merkel expresses her 'deep sorrow and shame’ during historic Dachau visit

[steve2470]

Source: UK Telegraph

Ahead of an evening election rally in Dachau, the nearby Bavarian town, she toured the memorial site at the camp and spoke with Holocaust survivors. Max Mannheimer, a camp survivor who invited the German leader to visit, described the gesture as “historic”.

Describing the Nazi era as “a horrible and unprecedented chapter of our history”, Chancellor Merkel linked her act of remembrance to concerns over the rise of new far-Right extremism in Europe.

“For me this is a special moment. The memory of these fates fills me with deep sorrow and shame,” she said.

“At the same time, this place is a constant warning: how did Germany reach the point of taking away the right of people to live because of their origin, their religion ... or their sexual orientation?.”

Read more: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/germany/10255833/Merkel-expresses-her-deep-sorrow-and-shame-during-historic-Dachau-visit.html

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I'm very glad Merkel did this, the right thing to do.

[dipsydoodle]

1. Duplicate : Bananas posted in LBN yesterday

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014571080

[bucolic_frolic]

2. A definite statement against intolerance

that would not be well-received by some members of the far right
in America today.

Chilling.

[KinMd]

3. I'm surprised it took this long for a German Chancellor to visit

[heaven05]

4. IF

it wasn't JUST political, she has a heart. I find most politicians have none. Just a stone pumping dollar bills into their Cayman's accounts.

[bemildred]

5. Merkel has every reason to be sincere, Germany got pounded flat because of Hitler's folly.

Tens of millions died.

And Germany is more democratic now, as a political and economic entity, than we have ever been here. And we set that up after the war. Too bad we didn't do the same thing here.

[Turbineguy]

8. Yes indeed.

The German population paid a terrible price for Hitler. Soon that entire generation will be completely gone and be relegated to history.

[bemildred]

9. Yes, most German's today grew up under the democratic order we established there.

My sister-in-law was a child during the war, married my brother when he was stationed there. She can tell stories.

[closeupready]

6. +1.

[jwirr]

7. She should also have added the disabled to the list of people who they considered not worthy of life

I am of German descent and have similair feelings because if my ancesters had not immigrated to this country I more than likely would have fallen for the evil that arose in Germany. That is if they had not taken my mother's family to the concentration camps for mental illness.

Now I live in fear that my own country is heading straight into this by electing the haters and bigots to our state and federal seats. God help us to avoid this by learning from the past and listening to people like Merkel.