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."