Holocaust files

"Holocaust archive tells many new stories "

16 miles...16 miles-- of files are going to be made available to victim's families and scholars. This is fascinating to me, as the Holocaust has always been, because it's not only a massive tragedy, but a cautionary tale which we (the human race) seem not to have heeded completely.

I remember my mother taking me to Holocaust memorial services as a child. We had no Jewish blood in my ancestry at all (that I'm aware of), but my mom really has a heartfelt sympathy for any and all who suffer(ed) wrongly. Thankfully, that is one of her traits that I've inherited.

I remember seeing the photos, seeing the translated testimonies of survivors, seeing victims' eyeglasses, shoes, books...each of which held such an amazing energy. Energy that seemed to jump right into me. Seeing these things in front of me instilled within me an empathy that I could never have realized by simply reading the story in a textbook or seeing an aged documentary on the subject. Those each had their impact on me, but seeing survivors speak of their tribulations firsthand...that is a truly incomparable history lesson. I feel lucky that I was able to witness these testimonies. After all, even the youngest of survivors are now elderly and this oral passing of their plights will soon be impossible.

I think any human being with half an ounce of compassion must feel the way I do about genocide. The very thought of it is practically incomprehensible. I seriously cannot fathom such unbridled, unfettered, unwaivering blind hatred. Thank God for that.

It's my greatest hope that we are on the verge of a global sea change in terms of geo-politics and worldviews. I am not nearly as socially aware as I may sound, but it doesn't take a scholar to see that things must change, and soon. I hope it's not just a pipedream.