Holocaust -- knowledge of and denial

[Behind the Aegis]

The ADL just released its first ever Global Attitudes on Anti-Semitism survey results. Included were questions about the Holocaust. Some of the results were unexpected in my opinion, but others were a bit disconcerting. This comes on the heels of that repulsive "critical thinking" exercise, "Is the Holocaust a Hoax?", out of California that some thought was acceptable.

Here are some of the results...



The last graphic makes me ill, but given some of the things I have seen, including here, leads me to believe this is probably one the nose.

More info at: http://global100.adl.org/

[ismnotwasm]

1. I've been a nurse long enough to have cared for tattooed victims

The particular couple I'm thinking of too didn't talk much about it-- but that faded ink was there. I think they met after the war and married.

I worked in long term care for my first decade of nursing. Which means I also took care of many WW2 Vets. I'd hear stories-- usually downplayed-- of what I realized later were famous battles.

I got interested in that period of history, how one war led to another, and then I read about "The Night of Broken Glass" and subsequent events.

It's funny, I read "Bury my Heart at Wounded Knee" in about 7th grade and it shaped who and what I am for all time-- how I look at history, how I view bigotry, the awakening of my mind of how inhuman humans can be. (I learned about the holocaust-- but it the shear unmitigated horror was hidden in the history of the war, in a way)

It still didn't prepare me for the story of the holocaust. The actual deniers I've met were fairly nutty-which didn't stop me from telling them off. I think the worst ones are the "it wasn't that bad" or "look at what Stalin did" I get physically ill. I get mad.

Your chart shows that not all deniers can be wing nuts, that perhaps otherwise reasonable human beings are deniers. I can't imagine how you feel, but know this, those lies will never be spoken in front of me without a challenge.

[MosheFeingold]

4. I am a pre-Shoa Refugee

I was born in Poland and was fortunate enough to sneak into the USA just prior to Hitler getting going.

I returned to Europe just shy of a week after D-Day, carrying a rifle and wearing an ill-fitting uniform. I was young, not much of a soldier, but in demand, because I could speak German, with a more-or-less German accent, as that is what my mother spoke (and Yiddish).

So, I got the joy of field interrogations of Nazi soldiers.

Probably personally violated the Geneva Convention 100 times, and I don't care, at all.

I did not personally see the camps, and am happy for that, until years later on a tourist-type trip. I don't think I could have stood it at the time. Seeing France destroyed was bad enough.

We lost a lot of family to the Nazis (including my older brother who stayed), and yes, the rest to Stalin, who was every bit a bastard as Hitler. So I don't get mad at those who say, "look at Stalin" because Stalin needs to be looked at.

Not because it makes Hitler look good.

But because Stalin escaped blame and condemnation for doing the same (or worse) and was never punished.

[RiffRandell]

2. My daughter hasn't been taught about it in school yet as

Last edited Wed Jun 4, 2014, 06:21 PM - Edit history (1)

she is too young but when my son first learned about we talked about it at length (he loves history) and I gave him my copy of The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, which he read.

I recorded the movie which made me cry for 2 days just thinking about it; he wanted to see it and his teacher noticed he was reading the book, read it himself and after school watched it with my son and another student who read it. My son loved this teacher so he wanted to watch it with him; the teacher ordered pizza for them. I sent him a thank you note the next day.

Anyway, before the end (I don't know if you've seen it but it's a great movie) he paused it to see if they were okay, which was very cool.

I've recorded many documentaries on it that we have watched together. Very disturbing graphic.

[Behind the Aegis]

3. I saw that movie.

As it was ending I asked my partner; "Is this a British movie or American?" The latter, the ending is usually not devastating, not so with the former.

If you are interested, there is a new one from PBS, "Escape from a Nazi Death Camp." It is actually uplifting in a way.

It scares me how many young people have no clue about the Holocaust. Of course, it isn't surprising when school administrators are putting forth assignments like "Was the Holocaust a Hoax?".