Thoughts on Auschwitz
I read an article this morning that someone has stolen the infamous sign from Auschwitz. The sign states “Arbeit Macht Frei” — German for “Work Sets You Free”. This just shows you the sad sad state of humanity. That someone took this is probably one of the most disrespectful things I have ever seen.
Most of you are so far detached from this because of time and distance that you really don’t get the sense of what it means. Even I am distanced by time. This does not mean distance is an excuse. I was born in America and I am of Polish descent along with millions of others here in the States. Whether or not you decide to follow up and embrace your heritage is your business but I embrace mine.
When I was young I read many books written by Auschwitz survivors. They all tell the same story and the major events are all slightly different because of who they were and so forth. I wanted to go there and see it for myself so I put it on my list of things to do before I die.
I did get to go there a about 5 years ago and it was a very deep experience for me. I walked under that sign and through the gas chambers. I wondered how you could kill so many people in that room. The ovens still smelled of ash and there was a sense of foreboding in that room. There is a long tray to lay a human on and slide them right in and pull it out. So mechanical and if there is evil it was there.
The sky was so blue that day and the grass so green. It was the perfect day. Survivors have said there was no grass, they had eaten it all. I saw a girl in a mini skirt with high heels and a bottle of water. Like it was an everyday tour. I was disgusted. I couldn’t eat or drink anything when I was in there. I felt something bad would happen to me if I did.
I went over to the larger camp where you see the famous pictures of the railway that goes into the camp. You can just walk around freely and no one will bother you. The off loading ramp that Mengele stood at the bottom of and waved his cane one way for death and the other for work is gone. You can see a picture next to a sign that shows the same sign with SS Officers standing around chatting like it’s just another day. You cross the tracks and you will see a sign that tells you are walking where thousands of men, women and children walked on their way straight to the gas chambers.
There are many barracks left and I found a sign explaining what all were for so I made my way to the barracks for Polish children. It was small maybe two long rows of beds and a small wood burning stove. There were crayon like drawings on the walls in one room. Left by children that probably never left the camp. I thought I could actually see the kids huddled around that small stove. I sat in there and it was so quiet. I didn’t hear any birds or anything. Just the wind moving between the buildings and the doors rattling.
When I think of this it makes me sad. It makes me sad that people are so evil and mean. I cannot deny it is simply human nature to kill what we fear. To kill for power. Even though it is our nature it is not right.
I cannot believe people can actually deny the holocaust. These people are ignorant fools.
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