Thank you for this. I am the son of a Nazi refugee. Most of my family died in Auschwitz or the other death camps. What is going on in this country right now is very frightening to me.
Ian, I'm so sorry for all the loss you've experienced. I want you to know—and to hold fast to the knowledge—that your fear is not unfounded, but/and that you are not alone. You are surrounded by people in this country who want to protect our inclusive society. We will, we must, stand tall and strong together. I'm 72, and I've been in many protest and gay rights marches, and I've never felt as strongly about any of those causes as I feel about the battle we're currently in. I know millions feel the same. Let your fear feed your strength.
Oh, Mary, as soon as I read this, I teared up: "I was there to pay homage, to offer my respect, to fulfill an obligation to remembrance." A friend and I spent three summers traveling through Europe in the 2000s. Whenever possible, we visited what had been the Jewish ghetto section of major cities in the various countries. I'll never forget the cases full of shoes and watches, etc., taken from the bodies before they were burned or gassed. I felt the same way you did. We owe them our respect and our vow never to let this happen again.
The moment—the very moment—I read that a school district in Tennessee had banned "Maus," I ordered it online. It sold out moments later. The right will never learn that their cancel culture will only shine a light on what they want to hide.
I will, and I ask you to remember my great-grandfather Klosowski who died in Buchenwald. I wish I could have known him. No one talked about him. I started to learn about him when I received a question from a researcher. He posted two WWII ID? cards with info about two people who were related. They were old cards but looked like they were a way of identifying who victims were after the fact. The only thing I know about this part of my family was via my grandmother which was only about her father having gone back to Poland (before German army invaded) to bring family to the states. It seems several of his children didn’t want to leave Poland and weren’t heard of again. I just don’t know.
Thank you for this. I took one very small step today and canceled my Spotify subscription. They asked why and I told them I'm disgusted with their promotion of Joe Rogan, who is killing people with disinformation.
I'm very afraid for America. Yet, I am very happy of when & where I went to school. My high school's curriculum would probably not be allowed today in many areas of the country.
I had a Black woman teacher for Afro-American studies in 9th grade, a Jewish male teacher for American history who spent an entire semester teaching us of the horrors of WWII.
Both taught us history from the human experience. I'll be forever grateful.
Excellent essay, Mary. It is chilling what these republicans are doing in schools, like the “tip line” in Arizona (or is it Texas? They’re almost the same) whereby students, parents or other teachers can call in and report a teacher who tried to teach something that the student felt was uncomfortable or disagreed with the teachings. The mere mention of the Holocaust could make a kid uncomfortable, so suddenly that teacher can’t talk about Hitler and the Holocaust?? This gives me real chills.
If I were that teacher, I would say “buck up, child. Learning about the Holocaust is SUPPOSED to make you uncomfortable, you ignorant entitled little shit”.
I have to think and absorb your latest column Mary. Your writing is so beautiful and complicated and simple at the same time. Thank you for this article and for being such a good person as you are.
I had to laugh at this comment, "...I realized that the only Dutch word I could pronounce without hurting myself was “Ja.”". I knew some Dutch kids in my 20's who were friends with my niece, they tried to teach me and for all the money or love in the world, I just couldn't do it. Thank you for this story, Mary. It is a hard one to remember and to tell. I visited Yad Vashem in Israel and it broke my heart. It is too bad that "NEVER AGAIN" for all marginalized persons really means, 'maybe, hopefully, never again. How someone can hate like this is beyond any reasonable rationalization. What puzzles me more so, is how some folks who have experienced hate, in their own lives, can turn around and hate others for who they are, what they believe, or what they look like? As a Jew and a lesbian, I just can't wrap my head around that one.
The "Ja" comment gave me a chuckle, too. I'm also perplexed by people who have been on the receiving end of hate or discrimination yet harbor negative views toward certain "other" groups. I think it just demonstrates that everyone has biases, including unconscious biases of which they may not be aware, and how much work, education, and self-examination we all need. Thanks for raising this point.
Thank you Mary, for this beautiful & powerful piece.
I believe that the 60% of Americans who believe in liberty & justice for all, are paying attention to what the anti-democratic/radical right is doing. Their message & actions of hate & intolerance is masquerading as patriotism. However; we've seen this movie and know how it ends. So as their fear & propaganda permeate our society, the stench of racism & fascism is becoming stronger. Which is what I think, WILL be their downfall. Don't bet against the decency of our fellow citizens. We are a country of immigrants who believe in founding principals of this nation. THAT is a powerful thing. I chose to believe in the good in us.
When I was a sophomore in high school we had a seminar day and a woman who had survived Auschwitz came to share her story with us. The memory of that day is burned into my consciousness. I remember the large library filled with students and the awe that was felt as she shared the specific events, horrific events enacted upon the Jewish people. I think it impacted me so because I had many Jewish friends, worked with Jewish people, and imagined my friends, my coworkers, having relatives that actually lived through this event, but mostly did not live through this event. I once worked with a woman who had the numbers on her arm. As I sat next to her and saw the numbers my mind could not help but imagine the horrors that she faced. I can’t forget. We cannot forget.
Thanks so much for this piece. As a Jewish person and as an educator, I'm very afraid for America. In Mideast peace groups on Facebook, I saw how fear made otherwise good people unwilling to extend empathy to the "other." But I also saw how Israelis and Palestinians were risking so much to stand for peaceful coexistence--like Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, a Palestinian professor who lost his job and got his car blown up for taking a group of students on a trip to Auschwitz. I feel deep gratitude toward people who call for more painful knowledge, not less. Ultimately, only knowledge and empathy can break the cycle of fear and hatred.
I've never been to any protest except the 2017 Women's March where I saw some of the early nicknames for Donald, which included Drumpf and Twittler, for good reason. He unleashed the Nazi's in this country and I'm still terrified of the eventual result.
"Know thy enemy," an old expression meaning to enlighten one before countering a foe, and one used frequently in China which allows its students to study English and go abroad to further their knowledge. If you don't "know thy enemy," you cannot counter their assaults with any meaningful retort. Banning books that someone deems uncomfortable reveals a society's level of education and lack of critical thinking skills.
Every word you’ve said here resonates right to my core! This is exactly what is happening and it’s happening everywhere in the world where white privilege and historical dominance feel they are under threat with Canada (my home country) being no exception.
Thank you Mary for being such a bright light during these dark and troubling times. You help lift our spirits and provoke us to think more deeply about the issues of our time and what positive response we might offer up ourselves to help right this floundering ship.
Thank you for this. I am the son of a Nazi refugee. Most of my family died in Auschwitz or the other death camps. What is going on in this country right now is very frightening to me.
Ian, I'm so sorry for all the loss you've experienced. I want you to know—and to hold fast to the knowledge—that your fear is not unfounded, but/and that you are not alone. You are surrounded by people in this country who want to protect our inclusive society. We will, we must, stand tall and strong together. I'm 72, and I've been in many protest and gay rights marches, and I've never felt as strongly about any of those causes as I feel about the battle we're currently in. I know millions feel the same. Let your fear feed your strength.
Thank you for your incredibly kind words, Marian.
Oh, Mary, as soon as I read this, I teared up: "I was there to pay homage, to offer my respect, to fulfill an obligation to remembrance." A friend and I spent three summers traveling through Europe in the 2000s. Whenever possible, we visited what had been the Jewish ghetto section of major cities in the various countries. I'll never forget the cases full of shoes and watches, etc., taken from the bodies before they were burned or gassed. I felt the same way you did. We owe them our respect and our vow never to let this happen again.
The moment—the very moment—I read that a school district in Tennessee had banned "Maus," I ordered it online. It sold out moments later. The right will never learn that their cancel culture will only shine a light on what they want to hide.
I will, and I ask you to remember my great-grandfather Klosowski who died in Buchenwald. I wish I could have known him. No one talked about him. I started to learn about him when I received a question from a researcher. He posted two WWII ID? cards with info about two people who were related. They were old cards but looked like they were a way of identifying who victims were after the fact. The only thing I know about this part of my family was via my grandmother which was only about her father having gone back to Poland (before German army invaded) to bring family to the states. It seems several of his children didn’t want to leave Poland and weren’t heard of again. I just don’t know.
Thank you for this. I took one very small step today and canceled my Spotify subscription. They asked why and I told them I'm disgusted with their promotion of Joe Rogan, who is killing people with disinformation.
Hopefully if enough people do that, Spotify will get rid of Rogan. If I had a Spotify account, I'd cancel it too.
I'm very afraid for America. Yet, I am very happy of when & where I went to school. My high school's curriculum would probably not be allowed today in many areas of the country.
I had a Black woman teacher for Afro-American studies in 9th grade, a Jewish male teacher for American history who spent an entire semester teaching us of the horrors of WWII.
Both taught us history from the human experience. I'll be forever grateful.
Excellent essay, Mary. It is chilling what these republicans are doing in schools, like the “tip line” in Arizona (or is it Texas? They’re almost the same) whereby students, parents or other teachers can call in and report a teacher who tried to teach something that the student felt was uncomfortable or disagreed with the teachings. The mere mention of the Holocaust could make a kid uncomfortable, so suddenly that teacher can’t talk about Hitler and the Holocaust?? This gives me real chills.
If I were that teacher, I would say “buck up, child. Learning about the Holocaust is SUPPOSED to make you uncomfortable, you ignorant entitled little shit”.
I believe that was here in Arizona. Could have been both places. I wish I was back home back east.
This is your best column yet. I see I am not the only one to say so. Your insights are important.
I have to think and absorb your latest column Mary. Your writing is so beautiful and complicated and simple at the same time. Thank you for this article and for being such a good person as you are.
I had to laugh at this comment, "...I realized that the only Dutch word I could pronounce without hurting myself was “Ja.”". I knew some Dutch kids in my 20's who were friends with my niece, they tried to teach me and for all the money or love in the world, I just couldn't do it. Thank you for this story, Mary. It is a hard one to remember and to tell. I visited Yad Vashem in Israel and it broke my heart. It is too bad that "NEVER AGAIN" for all marginalized persons really means, 'maybe, hopefully, never again. How someone can hate like this is beyond any reasonable rationalization. What puzzles me more so, is how some folks who have experienced hate, in their own lives, can turn around and hate others for who they are, what they believe, or what they look like? As a Jew and a lesbian, I just can't wrap my head around that one.
The "Ja" comment gave me a chuckle, too. I'm also perplexed by people who have been on the receiving end of hate or discrimination yet harbor negative views toward certain "other" groups. I think it just demonstrates that everyone has biases, including unconscious biases of which they may not be aware, and how much work, education, and self-examination we all need. Thanks for raising this point.
Thank you Mary, for this beautiful & powerful piece.
I believe that the 60% of Americans who believe in liberty & justice for all, are paying attention to what the anti-democratic/radical right is doing. Their message & actions of hate & intolerance is masquerading as patriotism. However; we've seen this movie and know how it ends. So as their fear & propaganda permeate our society, the stench of racism & fascism is becoming stronger. Which is what I think, WILL be their downfall. Don't bet against the decency of our fellow citizens. We are a country of immigrants who believe in founding principals of this nation. THAT is a powerful thing. I chose to believe in the good in us.
When I was a sophomore in high school we had a seminar day and a woman who had survived Auschwitz came to share her story with us. The memory of that day is burned into my consciousness. I remember the large library filled with students and the awe that was felt as she shared the specific events, horrific events enacted upon the Jewish people. I think it impacted me so because I had many Jewish friends, worked with Jewish people, and imagined my friends, my coworkers, having relatives that actually lived through this event, but mostly did not live through this event. I once worked with a woman who had the numbers on her arm. As I sat next to her and saw the numbers my mind could not help but imagine the horrors that she faced. I can’t forget. We cannot forget.
Thanks so much for this piece. As a Jewish person and as an educator, I'm very afraid for America. In Mideast peace groups on Facebook, I saw how fear made otherwise good people unwilling to extend empathy to the "other." But I also saw how Israelis and Palestinians were risking so much to stand for peaceful coexistence--like Mohammed Dajani Daoudi, a Palestinian professor who lost his job and got his car blown up for taking a group of students on a trip to Auschwitz. I feel deep gratitude toward people who call for more painful knowledge, not less. Ultimately, only knowledge and empathy can break the cycle of fear and hatred.
I've never been to any protest except the 2017 Women's March where I saw some of the early nicknames for Donald, which included Drumpf and Twittler, for good reason. He unleashed the Nazi's in this country and I'm still terrified of the eventual result.
This is my favorite column from you yet, thank you. Powerful, poignant and wise.
"Know thy enemy," an old expression meaning to enlighten one before countering a foe, and one used frequently in China which allows its students to study English and go abroad to further their knowledge. If you don't "know thy enemy," you cannot counter their assaults with any meaningful retort. Banning books that someone deems uncomfortable reveals a society's level of education and lack of critical thinking skills.
Every word you’ve said here resonates right to my core! This is exactly what is happening and it’s happening everywhere in the world where white privilege and historical dominance feel they are under threat with Canada (my home country) being no exception.
Thank you Mary for being such a bright light during these dark and troubling times. You help lift our spirits and provoke us to think more deeply about the issues of our time and what positive response we might offer up ourselves to help right this floundering ship.