A child should not be held responsible for the actions of its parents/grandparents etc.  If you continually attack that that child because of what happened before he/she was born then you perpetuate the hatred.

Tell a child often enough that he is stupid, he will fulfill that expectation.  Tell a child often enough he is a Nazi then he may become one.  Tell a child often enough to be proud of being German he will feel good enough about himself that he won't need to hit out.

Hi Rene,

I never said that you are disputing or hiding the Holocaust.

And of course I think that it's terrible that a child should have to endure insults for something that he or she did not do and something that he or she is not. Hate should not be tolerated. 

I would like to give you sympathy. I would like to be outraged. I would like to take away your sorrow and comfort you. I really would, Rene. From your poems, you seem to be a wonderful person. And I have no reason to doubt that your sons are just as wonderful.

I want your children to  be proud of all the great things that are German. 

And I know that the Holocaust could have happened anywhere. But I also cannot deceive myself that Mein Kampf isn't written in German. Or the shiver that goes down my back everytime I hear the name, "Adolf". 

I know that what I'm about to say may sound harsh. I know that it sounds harsh, but there is a part of me that just can't forget that your people killed six million of my people. I know that you didn't do it and your parents did not do it, but you're still connected to a community that allowed it to happen; or if powerless to stop it, did not speak out.

I know that I'm being unfair because if I had been German, I really don't know if I would have spoken out.

But life is unfair.

You said that my response would not bring the world closer together. And maybe you're right. You're looking for sympathy and I'm not giving that much of it. But I do hear how you feel. And I have shared with you how I feel. And maybe that is something.

Regards,
Chaim

Lisa ~

Thanks for taking the time to read. . .and to share your own story.  The tragedy is. . .as this thread can attest to. . .that there is far too much misunderstanding, to much labeling, to much fear, and not enough compassion for "the other side of the fence" in many instances. . .

not all but many. . .

Thank you for the reference to the Max Lucado book. . .yes, sharing stories like that can be very helpful to children put in a difficult position, whatever nationality and whatever reason.

It's so nice to have you back among us.  *smile*

~Ren~

Hi Ren,

First I would like to thank Norm on referring me to this great poem, 

when I was a child I would go back and forth from NJ to PR and picked up an accent besides my looks of course from father´s side, I was called niger, spic 'n' span or just plain spic, it was for only one year that my father had decided to put me in public school - I had always been in catholic school ' it was horrible for me that year ... I know exactly what you darling angel is going through and the pain he must be feeling - I remember that year in PS I almost flunked 3rd grade.

There is a book I bought for my kids called You are special I have the spanish version of course although I am teaching them english - we homeschool it´s from Max Lucado - it´s basically about a boy who lives in a place where the people that think your great give you a star and those that think bad about you give you a dot,

except for this little girl who had neither spts or stars - those who would notice she had no dots would give her stars but they wouldn´t stick but then those who saw she had no stars would give dots - but these didn´t stick either ... the noticed this and asked her how could this be because he wanted to be like her ' she told him to go to the man who lived up in the hill ... and well I think you have an idea of what this is all about (((smiles)))

for some reason everyone - somehow or someway sometimes even unconsciously labels and tags everything and sadly everyone - my heart goes out to you as a mother I can understand the anger and the hurt for what your angel is going through -

but now I have a question until when we will be sharing and caring amongst ourselves and not show teach the world what we know?

I´m guilty as well but I do wish there something else we could do...

Love
Lisa

Ren:
Quote:


a daily quest
and
most desirable.

To all: Thank you for expressing your feelings; it's through this kind of communication that we not only learn but also grow .. together as a positive force in this challenged world

It's odd, living on the west coast there is so much less, I didn't say any, but so much less racism here.  It is interesting to me since I am in the middle of writing another opera and one of the characters is a German Nazi and I am working on putting that human face onto him.  Germany as a political entity and I believe as a people have stood up and faced that horrible part of the human being and has matured, has grown from the experience, I actually am proud of the German nation for their acceptance and vigor at facing an ugly problem.  There are lots of countries with shameful genocides that cannot even admit that they too are monsters, that is to say human.  So as another Jewish man, tell your children to be proud of their German heritage.  Joe

Rene,

Haven't you often seen that the sharing of pain creates a symbiotic (there's that word again) love for another? Sonmtimes siblings have to be reminded through a con-joined emotional pain that they really DO love each other.

Norm