Remembering The Holocaust.

[Lex Luthor 10]

The Holocaust was horrific and catastrophic.  It is important that we never forget.

 

Patricia, many Germans didn't take it all lying down.  Thousands of German citizens took an enormously brave stand against Nazism and Hitler.  Thousands were executed for it, ( there's an approximate figure of 77,000 on Wikipedia for the number of German citizens that were executed for taking a stand).  Thousands more helped Jews flee and hid them, which would have been punishable by death and would have also endangered the lives of their own loved ones.  There would be a lot fewer survivors of the Holocaust, were it not for the enormous bravery and compassion of many, many Germans.

 

Pettytom and BobOfRoth, you're both right.  There's a long-standing tradition across the whole political spectrum on closing down debate from the opposition.  We need to be listening to one another, instead.  It's not helpful to dismiss the right as Nazis, nor the left as Bolsheviks, this black and white labelling is what contributed to the rise of Nazism in the first place, where in reality, 99.9% of us are somewhere in the middle.  

 

It's important to not stifle debate.  Like the whole Brexit debacle, Remainers felt it was ok to label Leavers as being from the far-right and racists, Leavers felt it was ok to label Remainers as being from the far-left but in reality, most people came from a more central position.  People should be able to voice their concerns about parties using  posters with queues of minorities on them to whip up nationalism, just as people should be able to voice any concerns they have about immigration.  Stifling debate and seeing things in extremist terms alienates the majority of us somewhere in the middle, and can lead to catastrophic consequences, as we have seen, particularly when combined with spiralling poverty and inequality.  

 

Edited January 27, 2020 by Lex Luthor

[hauxwell 243]

1 hour ago, Lex Luthor said:

Patricia, many Germans didn't take it all lying down.  Thousands of German citizens took an enormously brave stand against Nazism and Hitler.  Thousands were executed for it, ( there's an approximate figure of 77,000 on Wikipedia for the number of German citizens that were executed for taking a stand).  Thousands more helped Jews flee and hid them, which would have been punishable by death and would have also endangered the lives of their own loved ones.  There would be a lot fewer survivors of the Holocaust, were it not for the enormous bravery and compassion of many, many Germans.

Yes I agree with you on this.  

[hobinfoot 25]

A family friend who served throughout the war and seen many terrible things said entering Bergen-Belsen was horrific and without doubt the worst memory He’d had from the war. 

[pattricia 575]

5 hours ago, Lex Luthor said:

The Holocaust was horrific and catastrophic.  It is important that we never forget.

 

Patricia, many Germans didn't take it all lying down.  Thousands of German citizens took an enormously brave stand against Nazism and Hitler.  Thousands were executed for it, ( there's an approximate figure of 77,000 on Wikipedia for the number of German citizens that were executed for taking a stand).  Thousands more helped Jews flee and hid them, which would have been punishable by death and would have also endangered the lives of their own loved ones.  There would be a lot fewer survivors of the Holocaust, were it not for the enormous bravery and compassion of many, many Germans.

 

Pettytom and BobOfRoth, you're both right.  There's a long-standing tradition across the whole political spectrum on closing down debate from the opposition.  We need to be listening to one another, instead.  It's not helpful to dismiss the right as Nazis, nor the left as Bolsheviks, this black and white labelling is what contributed to the rise of Nazism in the first place, where in reality, 99.9% of us are somewhere in the middle.  

 

It's important to not stifle debate.  Like the whole Brexit debacle, Remainers felt it was ok to label Leavers as being from the far-right and racists, Leavers felt it was ok to label Remainers as being from the far-left but in reality, most people came from a more central position.  People should be able to voice their concerns about parties using  posters with queues of minorities on them to whip up nationalism, just as people should be able to voice any concerns they have about immigration.  Stifling debate and seeing things in extremist terms alienates the majority of us somewhere in the middle, and can lead to catastrophic consequences, as we have seen, particularly when combined with spiralling poverty and inequality.  

 

Thanks Lex. You’ve put it all into perspective now.

There is a tour of the camps but someone I know has been round them and says they are very depressing. But they should be left there to make us think what the Nazis did to the Jews.

[Lex Luthor 10]

12 hours ago, pattricia said:

Thanks Lex. You’ve put it all into perspective now.

There is a tour of the camps but someone I know has been round them and says they are very depressing. But they should be left there to make us think what the Nazis did to the Jews.

Yes, definitely.  Did you watch the program on BBC2 last night, "The Last Survivors"?  

 

I thought I might get upset but nothing prepared me for it.  It was very interesting to note what similarities and differences there were amongst survivors in how they managed to carry on.  One survivor went back to Auschwitz with his daughter, it was understandably, very painful for him.  I don't think I'd realised the sheer size of the place.  

 

I felt, caught unawares when a survivor told his story of holding his Dad's hand as a child and feeling that his Dad was not saying much to him but then examining the situation in hindsight, and concluding that it must be terrible to not be able to do anything to protect your own sons from the horrors they were subjected to.

[pattricia 575]

5 hours ago, Lex Luthor said:

Yes, definitely.  Did you watch the program on BBC2 last night, "The Last Survivors"?  

 

I thought I might get upset but nothing prepared me for it.  It was very interesting to note what similarities and differences there were amongst survivors in how they managed to carry on.  One survivor went back to Auschwitz with his daughter, it was understandably, very painful for him.  I don't think I'd realised the sheer size of the place.  

 

I felt, caught unawares when a survivor told his story of holding his Dad's hand as a child and feeling that his Dad was not saying much to him but then examining the situation in hindsight, and concluding that it must be terrible to not be able to do anything to protect your own sons from the horrors they were subjected to.

Yes I saw the programme on BB2 last night. It made me think. Very touching.

[Fiat500 17]

'Holocaust: night will call' on More 4 was horrific. Last night we watched The Windermere Children on bbc2. We watch all the documentaries about the horror of the camps but are rarely told about what happened next. I found the programme very moving to see young survivors being brought to England and how at first they felt like they were just going to another camp. Running off with their pieces of bread to hide it, happiness at getting new clothes. The sadness when they learned their families were dead. Compelling viewing.

 

Edited January 28, 2020 by Fiat500
wrong word put in, don't like predictive text

[willman 10]

There was an excellent programme late last night on History,which went into more detail than i knew regarding the difference in death camps and concentration camps.