After looking at the photos on the class blog's link from the day the Holocaust Museum opened, I was curious about the neo-nazi party and decided to look it up. Here's a bit of what's on their homepage:
Although National Socialism encompasses many various issues of concern to Aryan Americans, including a healthy environment, children's welfare, and freedom of belief without fear of System persecution...the two main tenets of National Socialism embodies the Struggle for Aryan Racial survival, and Social Justice for White Working Class people throughout our land.
I think it's crazy that people still think like this. And that they're so passionate about it. Have they not realized that racism is looked down upon now? Have they really refused to accept any equality we have in our society now? I don't understand how this is still going on. It's ridiculous.
They also have a link to download all of Mein Kampf onto your computer. They refer to it as Hitler's "masterpiece". If I wasn't so scared about their seriousness, I would find this a bit entertaining...
Sunday, December 12, 2010
The Holocaust Museum Field Trip
To be honest, I didn't think I'd like the museum that much. I thought the trip was just going to be really depressing and that I'd hate it. But the museum itself wasn't that bad. I think that if we hadn't had those tour guides, I could have learned a lot from it. As it was, my tour guide just talked the whole time about stuff we already knew and then didn't give us any time to actually look at anything in the museum. One thing I remember that I learned though, was that all Jews were given new middle names; if you were a girl, your middle name became Sara, and if you were a boy, it was Jacob. (Sorry if we actually already learned that and I just didn't remember from class, Mckenna.)
My favorite part of the field trip was when we went through the art gallery. That was really cool actually. It wasn't just for the Holocaust, it was dedicated to all genocide. It was really interesting to go through at look at all of the pictures and paintings.
My favorite part of the museum was definitely the architecture and interior designing of the place. (I know it doesn't have to do with anything we were supposed to learn on the field trip, but it's honestly what I like best about the place.) The walkway over all the displays was really cool, you could look down on all the stuff. And even though we didn't get a chance to go in there, I also liked the room of reflection and prayers (I don't know what it was actually called, but it was something like that). The way they set up a lot of the display stuff was really cool too. The little room about Kristallnact had broken glass all over the floor and in the corner. I thought that was really creative.
My favorite part of the field trip was when we went through the art gallery. That was really cool actually. It wasn't just for the Holocaust, it was dedicated to all genocide. It was really interesting to go through at look at all of the pictures and paintings.
My favorite part of the museum was definitely the architecture and interior designing of the place. (I know it doesn't have to do with anything we were supposed to learn on the field trip, but it's honestly what I like best about the place.) The walkway over all the displays was really cool, you could look down on all the stuff. And even though we didn't get a chance to go in there, I also liked the room of reflection and prayers (I don't know what it was actually called, but it was something like that). The way they set up a lot of the display stuff was really cool too. The little room about Kristallnact had broken glass all over the floor and in the corner. I thought that was really creative.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Genocide in the Congo?
The other day in class, Mckenna mentioned that there was a genoicde watch in the Democratic Republic of Congo. If it was really that bad, you'd think I would've heard it on the news at some point. As it was, I had not heard anything about this and decided to look into it. This is what I found:
Civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo remain victims of mass killings, severe torture and widespread rape at the hands of numerous armed groups operating in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale. Conflict in the DR Congo has resulted in an estimated 5.4 million civilian deaths since 1996.
In the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, civilians are targeted by the rebel Forces Democratique de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR). During its attacks, the FDLR burns villages and killed innocent residents. Human Rights Watch estimates that these attacks have killed more than 1,000 civilians since January 2009 .
The Congolese Army, known as the FARDC predates on civilians throughout the country, engaging in looting and gender based violence against civilians that it should be protecting.
In the Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele regions of Orientale province, more than 1,400 civilians have been killed in massacres and attacks committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony since Christmas of 2008, when the LRA established itself as one of the largest threats to civilians in the DR Congo.
While the DR Congo features the world’s second-largest peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, the presence of these peacekeepers have yet to bring peace to an area that has been embroiled in conflict since 1996.
From http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/democratic_republic_of_congo
According to this website, this has been going on since 1996. Had anyone tried to stop it at all? I decided to look into that too and I found a report from the U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100475.htm
It's really long, so I'm not going to repost it on here, but it basically talks about the horrors occuring in the Congo. There is also a U.N. group there trying to keep the peace. The Department of State report was from 2008 though. If this problem has exsisted since 1996, why has it taken the world twelve years to even recognize it? Anyone else know any more about this or have any opinions?
Democratic Republic of Congo
Civilians in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo remain victims of mass killings, severe torture and widespread rape at the hands of numerous armed groups operating in the provinces of North Kivu, South Kivu and Orientale. Conflict in the DR Congo has resulted in an estimated 5.4 million civilian deaths since 1996.In the eastern provinces of North and South Kivu, civilians are targeted by the rebel Forces Democratique de Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR). During its attacks, the FDLR burns villages and killed innocent residents. Human Rights Watch estimates that these attacks have killed more than 1,000 civilians since January 2009 .The Congolese Army, known as the FARDC predates on civilians throughout the country, engaging in looting and gender based violence against civilians that it should be protecting.In the Haut-Uele and Bas-Uele regions of Orientale province, more than 1,400 civilians have been killed in massacres and attacks committed by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) led by Joseph Kony since Christmas of 2008, when the LRA established itself as one of the largest threats to civilians in the DR Congo.
While the DR Congo features the world’s second-largest peacekeeping force, MONUSCO, the presence of these peacekeepers have yet to bring peace to an area that has been embroiled in conflict since 1996.
From http://www.genocideintervention.net/educate/crisis/democratic_republic_of_congo
According to this website, this has been going on since 1996. Had anyone tried to stop it at all? I decided to look into that too and I found a report from the U.S. Department of State
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/hrrpt/2007/100475.htm
It's really long, so I'm not going to repost it on here, but it basically talks about the horrors occuring in the Congo. There is also a U.N. group there trying to keep the peace. The Department of State report was from 2008 though. If this problem has exsisted since 1996, why has it taken the world twelve years to even recognize it? Anyone else know any more about this or have any opinions?
Thursday, December 2, 2010
My Grandfather's Involvment in WWII
I saw my grandparents over Thanksgiving break and while I was visiting them, my grandpa showed me a picture of a veteran's day reunion of his platoon or troop or whatever its called. He also showed me a picture of himself in a military uniform. My grandpa can't hear very well, so I asked my grandma if he ever talked about the war. According to her, he avoided the topic whenever someone asked him for details or specifics about his time in the army. I know that he was drafted when he was 19, and that he was an engineer. Specifically, his job was to find clean water before the rest of the troops came in. My grandma has told me that while he was in Europe, the house he was staying in was bombed; he was fortunate enough to not be in house at the time that this happened. She also said that he was promoted at some point, but she is unsure about details with that because that was something he didn't talk about.
I never really thought much about his experience in the war, but then I found out something that sparked me interest. A man that was in my grandpa's military group (whatever it's called), who was also a friend of my grandpa's, was captured by the Germans and taken as a POW. He survived and now has a book out about his time with the Germans. I intend on finding this book and reading it and finding out more about my grandpa's involvement in the war.
My mom told me that my grandpa was also in the group of soldiers that released Jews from the concentration camps and death camps after the war. It must have been pretty awful if he so utterly refuses to talk about his experiences.
While my grandma was talking to me about this that day, she also mentioned that she still has her ration book from during the war and that I could bring it in if the class was interested in seeing it.
My dad's second wife's step-dad (I know, confusing relationship) was also in WWII. He was a paratrooper and told me a story once of how he got stuck in a tree and could do nothing but hang there while the Germans all shot up at him. Miraculously, he cut himself down though and escaped. He also managed to learn a lot of German during the war and would often say random phrases to me in German.
I never really thought much about his experience in the war, but then I found out something that sparked me interest. A man that was in my grandpa's military group (whatever it's called), who was also a friend of my grandpa's, was captured by the Germans and taken as a POW. He survived and now has a book out about his time with the Germans. I intend on finding this book and reading it and finding out more about my grandpa's involvement in the war.
My mom told me that my grandpa was also in the group of soldiers that released Jews from the concentration camps and death camps after the war. It must have been pretty awful if he so utterly refuses to talk about his experiences.
While my grandma was talking to me about this that day, she also mentioned that she still has her ration book from during the war and that I could bring it in if the class was interested in seeing it.
My dad's second wife's step-dad (I know, confusing relationship) was also in WWII. He was a paratrooper and told me a story once of how he got stuck in a tree and could do nothing but hang there while the Germans all shot up at him. Miraculously, he cut himself down though and escaped. He also managed to learn a lot of German during the war and would often say random phrases to me in German.
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