Getting My Head Around Hate

I write my blog in my head when my son is nursing during the wee hours of the morning. In my head, my blog flows freely and everything is beautifully written. Not so much in reality.

Take, for example, yesterday’s post. What I was trying to say was Kathy Kacer’s books about the Holocaust put a human face on the mass murder.

In The Underground Reporters, there was a group of friends who played with each other but by the end of Hilter’s terror, only a couple of them were reunited. When you think about your own group of friends in the same situation, you can start to imagine how terrifying (what an inadequate word) it must have been.

And how utterly pointless.

On one hand, I can’t understand how the Holocaust happened. On the other hand, I understand fear can make people, in this case, not do the right thing.

On one hand I can’t understand how you could watch your neighbour being dragged away, but on the other, the fear it would happen to you and your family makes it easy to understand why you could turn a blind eye.

I think it was in The Diary of Laura’s Twin that one of the families decided to stay in the city despite the crumbling situation because the father thought it would only get better. And when his family was being taken to one of the concentration camps, the prisoners were led to believe it was a better place to go.

I had often wondered why Jewish people didn’t flee in droves but I understand now. I also learned that some people did flee but were turned back (we should be ashamed) and some actually fought back, facing Hitler’s army with whatever they could find.

So what have we learned from the Holocaust? Apparently absolutely nothing. Why does history keep repeating itself? How can it still be happening (watch the Hotel Rwanda to see how we failed more people)? Why is there so much hate?

People need to look past the different clothing, language and customs and see the person who is working hard to provide for his children, who is worried about the future and is happy summer is finally here.