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Grace Monet's Blog

  • Denial of the Holocaust is irrational

    Current mood:disgusted

    Every so often, some piece shows up on the news about someone who claims that the Holocaust did not really happen.  For my younger readers, the Holocaust was a collective event during World War II that occurred over several years.  Six million Jews were killed just because they were Jewish.  Other smaller ethnic groups were also murdered because the Nazis had their reasons for doing so.  It was done systematically.  Near the end of World War II, the process was accomplished with amazing and horrible efficiency. 

    It was a secret operation that took place in Eastern Europe, and the secret was well kept.  Word did leak out from a handful of individuals who managed to escape, but their news was so outlandish that people couldn't believe it.  During the war, the Nazis kept the secret from the German people. 

    What is my point?  It happened, no matter how many individuals grab a sound bite on the news now and then.  For anyone who's interested, the information is available on the Internet.  One can visit musems or one of the concentration camps where the most efficient murdering took place.

    Many of your grandfathers most likely served in that war.  Yes, it was a long time ago, but if your grandfather is still alive, it was also within a lifetime that touches your own.

    Why would someone bother to deny that the Holocaust happened?  Would you want to be associated with a group that would condone or agree with mass murder?  What if that group was right where you live, and all your friends belonged to it?

    Perhaps that person holds some of the attitudes of that group, but not all of them.  Perhaps such a person is a neo-nazi or member of another bigoted group.  Perhaps it's a member of a group who fights against the Jewish religion on principle.  Am I Jewish?  No.  Do I have a political or personal axe to grind?  No.  I believe that the study of history is important.  I believe sufficient evidence exists to prove the events, and denial of them is a dangrous bit of political convenience.  People were still learning about it and dealing with it during my childhood.

    Another part of the history is how an otherwise "civilized" country's government could get so politically twisted that such a thing could be considered.  I'm not placing blame on anyone here, because the reasons spanned decades and two world wars.  It's a bad example that needs to be acknowledged and reviewed.  It's important to remember and study to prevent it happening again.

    If the dictator of a suppressive government publically denies the Holocaust, then it's easier for that suppressive government to commit the same type of crimes. 

    The next time you hear a public denial of something historical you know is true, consider this:  Does the intended audience of that denial live in a country with a free press?  Is access to the truth denied to the whole population of the country?   Does any public display of disagreement put their lives in danger? 

    To quote former President Harry S. Truman:  "Read your history."

    12:40 AM

  • Driving Pointers for Teens - On Knowing Everything - eye rolling time

    Some time ago something occurred to me.  Teenagers believe they know everything mostly because they know everything about being a kid.  By the time someone's reached 13, there's been a lot of living in one's culture so a lot of knowlege is gained by exposure and osmosis.  Another reason teens think they know everything is that they are teens, and that's part of the process.  The eye rolling thing comes in when grown-ups try to tell or explain things to you.  Yes, you might be aware of the topic, but won't know all the details.  I'll mention driving in passing, because the blog title does mention driving pointers for teens.

    Most human activities involve using different skills.  The more someone uses that skill and does that activity, the more details become apparent, and the more there is to know.   For example, you might know something about playing guitar.  Do you know how to do all the different chords?  Do you know why one type of guitar sounds differently from another?  Do you know how one company's strings might feel or sound differently from another? 

    That's just one example.  There are things your parents do that you're aware of, and might be able to do.  But you can't know all the little details unless you spend the same amount of time with it that they have. There are things you do about which you know every detail.  Your parents wouldn't know, unless they did those same things. 

    It also works with driving.  Yes, after watching someone drive for nine years or so (once a child starts to actually pay attention), using the gas pedal, the brake, changing gears and streering look easy.  That's just part of the driving experience.  The rest of driving is knowing the rules/laws of the road, watching the other drivers along the way, and hoping that they also follow the rules of the road.  That's something else that requires knowledge and practice.  It's also potentially more dangerous than many other things people do.

    Part of being an educated person is the realization of how little one actually knows in the great scheme of things.  The important thing is learning how to get more information.  Having an open attitude toward learning helps.

    So when someone tries to teach or explain something to you, at least try to show respect for that person's knowledge and experience by listening.  Most people are proud of what they know and what they've learned because it takes work to learn.  Most people like to be seen as informed, or at least intelligent.  It's good manners to respect that in another person, and for others to respect your knowlege. 

    Let the eye rolling begin, just turn your head and don't strain your eyes.  Grace

    3:29 AM

  • Driving Pointers for Teens - No text messaging behind the wheel!

    Current mood:calm

    Apparently there's a new danger to teen driving, addition to drunk driving. It's a combination of cell phones and the decision to do text messaging while driving.  Okay, I admit that I'm older, and am not physically connected to my cell phone.  I also do not type in text messages with my thumbs, because it costs more than talking to someone or leaving voice mail.  I did not grow up with cell phones. 

    I do understand that keeping in touch with friends is essential at this time of your life.  I also understand that it's cool to immediately respond to the cell phone when it rings, beeps, plays or rocks at you.  However, in case you have not noticed, typing in text requires one to pay attention to the phone.  If you're driving, you're supposed to be paying attention to the road and traffic around you. 

    I'm doing this post because earlier this week I heard that a carful of five teenaged girls were killed in a car accident because the driver was typing a text message while driving. 

    I know that kids get used to riding in a car as a passenger.  Various toys help pass the time:  video games, MP3 players, books, cell phones, etc.  It's okay to do those things if you're a *passenger.*  A passenger in a car or other vehicle does not have to pay attention to the road, the traffic, or anything else.  The *driver* does that.

    When you become the driver of a vehicle, you're in charge of a heavy moving object that shares the road with other heavy moving objects.  The man-made laws of the road must be followed, and the natural rules of motion are very important.  Conditions and situations change at a moment's notice.  Any driver can make a bad decision or mistake while the vehicle is moving, so there's always the chance that one vehicle will hit another one.  The object is to get from your starting point to the destination safely.  It's very good if you don't hit another vehicle, or you can keep another vehicle from hitting yours.

    It takes a degree of maturity to actually drive in a responsible manner.  If you can't stand for your cell phone to be out of your hand, then you are not yet mature enough to drive.  If you're a passenger in a car, and the driver insists on playing with the cell phone in traffic, have the car stopped and get out.  Find a different way to get where you were going.

    Like so many other situations, the accident where the five teen girls were killed is tragic, and many family members are now hurting.  At the same time, it's an example of what can happen.  Yes, it can happen to anyone. Please give it some thought.

    Grace

     

    3:10 AM

  • Teen Grief Is Different - Emotional trauma does affect your mind

    Current mood:creative

    This week, a thought occurred to me.  When we learn something, it has an effect on the mind.  The new lesson is stored in our memory, and the lesson changes the way we think about certain things.  Emotional trauma can be similar.  In my experience, one of the effects was that my young mind made a lot of assumptions of which I wasn't aware for many years.  Those assumptions, or lessons, would not have occurred without the emotional trauma.

    I wrote about this in my first book, which I'm going to show below.  People tend to ignore the possibility that a teen's thoughts can be changed due to emotional trauma.  I believe the main reason for that is because one can't see a teen's thoughts.  Even the teen probably doesn't realize some of the changes, because teens are already so emotional.  The first person with whom a teen a would share such information would be a friend, not a parent.  Anyway, a physical injury is visible, so it's possible to know about it immediately and take steps to get it treated.  An emotional injury is more difficult to detect and treat.

    I do know what some of you are experiencing, because I've been there.  I survived, and lived to write about it.  You can survive yours, too.  It will probably take some attention from a parent, counselor, doctor and/or therapist, but that's okay.  Humans are not born knowing how to cope with emotional injury. 

    Take care!

    Gracie

    7:31 AM

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