The AJC

 09.29.2022

The American Jewish Committee. I recently subscribed to their telling newsletters, and man. Just the first one I read shocked me on what I was never taught, or had been able to hear from scholars and history. I am amazed from listening to their podcast, "People of the Pod". Ken Burns and Lynn Novick researched and spent seven years compiling a ton of historic information for the recent PBS documentary of theirs "The U.S. and the Holocaust". It is not for the faint of heart, like all crimes against humanity. But here is the biggest surprise to me, which I had only learned. The Germans took notes from our United States in our own hellish acts of slavery. 

I know. Way to make your momma proud, assholes. 

And unfortunately, I'm in the 'still learning' mode when it comes to America's brutal, greedy, selfish, unconscionable treatment of our African American brethren, as well as others.  It's still happening today, worldwide. But back to our own Jewish brethren. Excerpt from the provided classroom lesson plans that accompany this documentary.

"Americans consider themselves a “nation of immigrants,” but as the Holocaust unfolded in Europe, the U.S. proved unwilling to open its doors to more than a fraction of the hundreds of thousands of desperate people seeking refuge. Through firsthand testimony of witnesses and survivors, the series delves into the tragic human consequences of public indifference, bureaucratic red tape, and quota laws."

Ken Burns pointed out, and I'm paraphrasing, that any society, anywhere, can lose their democratic privileges. He notes several that have, and look to be destined to by the way things are looking.

January, 1933. Hitler takes power, says we must get rid of the 'Jew parasites'. Jews began plans to escape, many to America, but America did not want to let them in. Turns out exclusion was what mass America wanted. At the beginning, 1933, Naziism began. By the end of World War II, 2 out of every 3 Jews had been murdered. At least.

America as a whole finally saw news of the horrors, and many citizens & some politicians fought to bring Jewish refugees to the U.S., about 250,000. More than anywhere else in the world.

So, early wokeism? Seems so. Even during Jim Crow. Good for our U.S. citizens that pushed. At least our African American brethren weren't murdered. Oh, wait.

I'll stop for now, but much more to come on humans killing each other. To be continued...

Thank you for stopping by.