Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

AN INDEPENDENT STUDENT NEWSPAPER SERVING THE GW COMMUNITY SINCE 1904

The GW Hatchet

Serving the GW Community since 1904

The GW Hatchet

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German atonement – Staff editorial

Recently elected Gerhard Schroeder is the first German chancellor young enough to have had no direct connection with the Nazi Party and its World War II-era atrocities. In recent speeches, Schroeder has said Germans should stop repeatedly apologizing for what their nation did during the war.

On one hand, a time will come when few Germans will be alive who had anything to do with the nation’s shameful wartime conduct, or even lived through the terrible period. On the other hand, if people stop talking about what occurred during the war, those same attitudes could bubble up once again.

As a nation, Germany must carry with it the guilt of the horrors that happened during World War II. The Holocaust was something the world had never experienced; no one can forget that the Nazis convinced millions to adopt their attitudes of violent racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Germany – unlike Japan, some would argue – confronted its dark past and has tried to make amends. In the past 50 years, German leaders who lived through and were scarred by the Holocaust were quick to take steps to ensure nothing like it would be repeated. Restrictions on giving the “Heil Hitler” salute, denying the Holocaust and establishing fascist political parties have been among government attempts to deal with Germans who view history with warped vision and still remain believers in National Socialism. But a younger generation of Germans, including Schroeder, is coming to power, and they did not live through the war. Like their predecessors, these younger leaders must be wary of the mistakes of the past.

Perhaps the time has come for Germans to stop apologizing for what their nation did half a century ago. But that does not mean the nation and its people should forget what happened. In recent years, Turkish immigrants were subject to fire-bombing attacks by neo-Nazi skinheads. The image of immigrants’ apartments ablaze chillingly resembled similar images from the 1930s and 1940s.

Anti-Semitism is not dead. It lurks dangerously beneath the surface. Last week in Russia, a Communist Party member blamed the nation’s economic woes on the “Yids.” His comments were criticized roundly by most Russian officials, including President Boris Yeltsin. But comments like that, and the continued denial by some that the Holocaust actually happened, should serve as a warning. Regular apologies may no longer be required, but the memories of what occurred cannot be forgotten or swept aside for more pleasant recollections. As humans, we cannot forget one of the darkest episodes of our existence.

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