The world is diverse, filled with many ethnicities, cultures, and landscapes. While these differences can create great creative collaboration and joy when these groups work together for the common good, these differences can also become problematic and pathological when the collective moral ethical standing of a society begins to waver.
When the World Goes Awry
Throughout history, there have been significant times when wars have besieged parts of the world because of people’s differences and the rabid power aspirations of a select few. These times are marked as the darkest parts of human history, and several have brought the world to the brink of disaster. This was the case in World War II.
The Holocaust Victims
Of all history’s atrocities, the Holocaust is marked as one of the evilest. It was a time besot with crimes against humanity on a level rarely experienced before. The war victims suffered displacement, despair, desperation, starvation, slavery, torture, moral degradation, and mass genocide, affecting tens of millions of people.
Certainly, part of World War II was spurred by the victims’ race, culture, religion, and backgrounds. But there is little doubt that the root causes of World War II were the evil maladjusted minds of a few men. However, these men could not have accomplished such heinous acts without complacency and enabling from millions of others. That is why it’s imperative to teach and understand the stories of Holocaust victims. In doing so, humanity can continue the process of working to ensure it never occurs again.
If you are looking for an excellent resource on the Holocaust and its victims, the ZACHOR Holocaust Remembrance Foundation is an excellent interactive resource. They are dedicated to ensuring the remembrance of the Holocaust victims and survivors. You can learn more about the foundation at www.zachorfoundation.org.
