I wrote a couple of stories about the Holocaust last week. It's almost beyond belief that such a thing could have happened in a so-called modern world. Here is a link to an article about the museum in suburban Detroit.
Most Americans are at least aware of what happened in the Holocaust. But many people may not be aware of the fact that the Nazis' campaign to exterminate the Jews was reported in the United States as it developed. Many newspapers and radio stations informed the U.S. public about the genocide as it was starting, but the horrors were essentially ignored in America for years. Maybe it was too bizarre to believe. I don't know exactly what changed the perception in the states but somewhere along the line the American people finally woke up and took action.
One lasting lesson from the Holocaust is to keep Edmund Burke's famous quote in mind: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
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Feliz Cinco de Mayo, amigos y amigas!

Toledo, Ohio
May 5, 2008