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Denial Can Be Dangerous
Then on September 11, in the wake of rumors about a massacre in nearby Aran, a trustworthy Christian who had been sent there came back with firsthand confirmation; the entire community had been destroyed, and the streets were filled with the bodies of Jews. Rabbi Rozowski called a meeting to suggest buying ammunition in order to put up a fight and die with honor: Let us not go as sheep to the slaughter!” he proclaimed. “Let us die with the Philistines.” But still there were people who refused to believe the end was near, who were sure that the Germans were only after Jewish property and money, not Jewish lives, and the meeting ended in dissension. — Yaffa Eliach, There Once Was a World: a 900-Year Chronicle of the Shtetl of Eishyshok*
This post is not written to elicit sympathy for the Jews of the shtetl of Eishyshok, which was part of various Eastern European countries at one time or another. Instead, I want to point out that it is dangerous to live in denial, to ignore the facts, to hide from the truth when your way of life is at stake.
Over and over again, the Jews of Eishyshok learned what was happening to Jews all around them; they knew of the history of anti-Semitism and had learned the value of living peacefully, when they could, with their neighbors. But acknowledging the barbarism that was taking place, and to which they were to fall victim, was simply too much to contemplate. The Germans had been kind to them during World War I; the Eishyshkians believed they would treat them as kindly this time. Until they didn’t.
To live in denial is a human trait. When we are directly at risk, we might tend to go in one direction or the other: we will either obsess about the dangers, or will hide in denial.
So, those lessons can be applied to today. We live in chaotic times, where we see violence, hatred, and destruction all over the country. I don’t believe that it is time for paranoia; instead, I think we must be realistic about the lawlessness that is going on, aided by the media, wealthy supporters, the radical Left, and disenfranchised citizens. Our citizens, through their words and deeds, who are stepping in to support these anarchists, are beyond foolish; they are a threat to our country, to the rule of law and to the Constitution. They think they are fighting for an important cause, but the cause is manufactured. They are planting the seeds of totalitarianism, dooming their children to a bleak future. They have no idea of what they are about to lose, and when they do lose their freedoms, they will deny responsibility. How long will it take before people are killed to justify “the cause”? What will the violence enablers say then?
We must find a way to drag them out of their denial and reticence before it’s too late. We must find a way to get out the truth. Otherwise, anarchy will reign, and we will be unable to find our way back to law and order and to a Republic.
That danger is not imminent, but I fear it is much closer than we think.
*On September 26, 1941, somewhere between 3,5oo and 5,000 people were killed and buried in mass graves.
My thanks to @ontheleftcoast for telling me about this tragic and informative book.
Published in Culture
As far as Hitler was concerned, even 1/4 Jewish blood made you vulnerable. I’m surprised that they let that many Jews serve. They must have been pretty desperate.