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I found a small piece of paper with the following quote above my husband's desk and place it here --
-- with deep and heartfelt prayers.
I pray that we may learn the lessons of the inhumane horrors STILL applied to so many precious people of all ages, religions, nationalities and backgrounds IN OUR TIME.
"Naturally, the common people don't want war...but, after all, it is the leaders of the country who determine policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag the people along, whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament or a communist dictatorship...all you have to do is tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the country to danger. It works the same in any country."
--from Herman Goering (Adolph Hitler's Second in Command)
One corroboration that this quote is true and truly attributed is found:
http://www.snopes.com/quotes/goering.asp
Also see stories and quotes from family members of the Nazi war criminals: What parent, leader or not, would want such a legacy for their family? See what this precious child
-- Gudrun -- had to endure:
Be sure to peruse or file this one because the insights and mirrors are so palpable
as well as heart-breaking. If we haven't yet made our own applications of this, when'will be that day?
http://www.fold3.com/page/285875536_the_children_of_nazi_germany/
(The photos on this post are taken from this source.)
Herman Goering
Daughter and Father
A friend who has been an essential part of Amnesty I/USA for years sent this today June 26th -- on his Human Rights List...it seemed to strike resonance with what I just posted above, so here it is in summary:
ReplyDeleteUSA:
A Cruel and Unusual Record
The United States is abandoning its role as the global champion of human
rights.
Revelations that top officials are targeting people to be assassinated abroad, including American citizens, are only the most recent, disturbing proof of how far our nation’s violation of human rights has extended. This development began after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and has been sanctioned and escalated by bipartisan executive and legislative actions, without dissent from the general public. As a result, our country can no longer speak with moral authority on these critical issues.
...Recent legislation has made legal the president’s right to detain a person indefinitely on suspicion of affiliation with terrorist
organizations or “associated forces,” a broad, vague power that can be abused without meaningful oversight from the courts or Congress (the law is currently being blocked by a
federal judge). This law violates the right to freedom of expression and to be presumed innocent until proved guilty...
In addition to American citizens’ being targeted for assassination or
indefinite detention, recent laws have canceled the restraints in the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 to allow unprecedented violations of our rights to privacy...
...Despite an arbitrary rule that any man killed by drones is declared an enemy terrorist, the death of nearby innocent women and children is accepted as inevitable...President Hamid Karzai has demanded that such attacks end, but the practice continues in areas of Pakistan, Somalia and Yemen that are not in any war zone. ...each one approved by the highest authorities in Washington. This would have been unthinkable in previous times.
...the great escalation in drone attacks has turned aggrieved families toward terrorist organizations, aroused civilian populations against us and permitted repressive governments to cite such actions to justify their own despotic behavior.
Meanwhile, the detention facility at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, now houses 169
prisoners. About half have been cleared for release, yet have little prospect
of ever obtaining their freedom.
...America’s violation of international human rights abets our enemies and alienates our friends...
(source: Op-ed; New York Times)
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