Remembrance
Lately my literary tastes have tended to gravitate more towards nonfiction, specifically Nazi Germany-related nonfiction. This was probably spurned by a recent viewing of "Schindler's List" with my husband, who had never seen it. I purchased the book that the movie came from the next day and plodded through it that night. I say "plodded" because it's a very depressing read, which is no surprise to anyone, I'm sure. One can't help thinking, "How did this happen? Why did they let it happen?" Surely there were enough Germans to instigate an uprising to end this terrible dictatorship.
Next, I read "Night" by Elie Weisel, which was a re-read, since we covered it in Religious and Historical Perspectives in college. If you haven't read it, please, do so. Also pick up the other novels and nonfiction that Mr. Weisel has written. You won't be sorry if you're a fan of serious literature.
Finally, I'm currently reading "The Good Old Days" which is subtitled "The Holocaust as Seen by Its Perpetrators and Bystanders." I haven't finished it yet, but what I have read puts a whole new perspective on my earlier questions. It's amazing to read in their own words (the book has an extensive collection of letters written home by soldiers, doctors, various SS men, etc.) how they felt about the atrocities that they were committing.
There are people today who deny that the holocaust even happened. How can this be? Have these people suffered only for their suffering to be denied? We must remember the fallen Jews and those who lived to escape. There are others who need to be remembered as well. The homosexuals who were interred and suffered in concentration camps were still considered criminals by their government under laws that weren't revoked until the late 1950s. There are only about 13 of those homosexuals alive today, and they weren't even given recognition as victims of the camps until 2000. Those the Nazis called gypsies were also killed in the death camps, as well as political dissidents.
All this happened while the world sat idly by, or gave into his demands because they thought he would stop. Frightening.
Next, I read "Night" by Elie Weisel, which was a re-read, since we covered it in Religious and Historical Perspectives in college. If you haven't read it, please, do so. Also pick up the other novels and nonfiction that Mr. Weisel has written. You won't be sorry if you're a fan of serious literature.
Finally, I'm currently reading "The Good Old Days" which is subtitled "The Holocaust as Seen by Its Perpetrators and Bystanders." I haven't finished it yet, but what I have read puts a whole new perspective on my earlier questions. It's amazing to read in their own words (the book has an extensive collection of letters written home by soldiers, doctors, various SS men, etc.) how they felt about the atrocities that they were committing.
There are people today who deny that the holocaust even happened. How can this be? Have these people suffered only for their suffering to be denied? We must remember the fallen Jews and those who lived to escape. There are others who need to be remembered as well. The homosexuals who were interred and suffered in concentration camps were still considered criminals by their government under laws that weren't revoked until the late 1950s. There are only about 13 of those homosexuals alive today, and they weren't even given recognition as victims of the camps until 2000. Those the Nazis called gypsies were also killed in the death camps, as well as political dissidents.
All this happened while the world sat idly by, or gave into his demands because they thought he would stop. Frightening.
posted by Deonna at 10:36 PM
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