Auschwitz is falling down

Auschwitz is falling apart.

There are those that say it should, that hell should rot and peace will return to the region. There are those who call the site a "Jewish Disneyland" and that it should be allowed to crumble to set the "Zionist lie" to rest. Then there are those who believe history could be forgotten if the site disappears.

History is already being forgotten and the site is still standing. I believe that it is not up to the site to remind the world of what happened there. From a strict, historical sense, the site is a tool to education, not education in and of itself. We can't rely on the site to remind us, to teach us, because it is an inanimate object. Anyone may go there and leave with different ideas as to what the true intention of the gas chambers were. People will leave with the impression they want to see, perhaps not what they should see. Please don't get me wrong, there are thousands that visit every year that get the correct idea, but there are those who refuse to see the truth, based on racist ideas that go back centuries.

As far as the "Jewish Disneyland" sentiment, I was near sick when I first heard someone say it. The thought is that Auschwitz allows the Jews to keep the Holocaust to themselves, even to push Holocaust guilt onto others to get what they want. I hate to even dignify that idea on this blog, but my goal is to deal with racism and stupidity, even something that grossly stupid.

There are so many ways to look at the above statement. It is an implosion in itself. The statement is racist, obviously, and tells me the people who say it perhaps need to make a visit to the camp to see for themselves what the Holocaust is all about. To many Jews, the site is a sacred place where relatives were murdered then butchered. It has nothing to do with promoting the Holocaust on anyone. For others, the site is a reminder of what can happen if we neglect the warning signs of genocide. Genocide is real and it didn't end, not start with for that matter, in WW II. There is little evidence left on the face of the earth of previous and modern genocide attempts. Auschwitz and camps like it are our reminders to be vigilant.

Now there are those people out there that will use anything to their advantage. People who want you to feel sorry for them, to give them attention or opportunities due to their race/religion/situation. I know these people well. It is the 'race card' play and anyone can use it. Yes, there are Jews who use the Holocaust as a way to through their weight around. But there are people who use such cards in every race and religion. You can't base your opinion of an entire race/religion/principle on such people. If you do, you are equally guilty as they are of the crime of racism.

As far as the idea of peace returning to the region if Auschwitz is allowed to fall, well, that's just crap. Anti-Semitism still exists. Anti-Tziganism is rampant. Should we tear down all of the plantations in the south where slavery existed because it is unpleasant to think of? Of course not. The only thing we lose there is a part of history.

The camps must be preserved, just as Eisenhower said in 1945, so that they will stand against those who would re-write our history. Our future depends on our interpretation of the past.

Elie Wiesel: the great blind man

I've read more than a few accounts as to why the great humanitarian Elie Wiesel hates Gypsies. There are many non-Rroma who say they can understand his feelings, understand his anger. Then why is he the great humanitarian he is? Consider his own words:

"Because I remember, I despair. Because I remember, I have the duty to reject despair."

unless, of course, this applies to a Gypsy. It was a Gypsy that struck his father, and that strike has been debated over the years in questioning him. Was it a beating or a slap? There was a point when he admitted that it was one slap. I understand the love of a son for his father, but he began to preach tolerance. Should he not practice what he believes in? Are all Rromani guilty because a kapo in a death camp was trying to stay alive a little longer? Should the Jews who stayed alive by working in the special units of cleaning up and tearing apart the dead be equally condemned?

"Hope is like peace. It is not a gift from God. It is a gift only we can give one another."

Why then does this great humanitarian offer us hope? Apparently it is a gift he selects who he will give it to. And yet...

"I decided to devote my life to telling the story because I felt that having survived I owe something to the dead, and anyone who does not remember betrays them again."

By deciding to fight against the Rroma inclusion, he betrays the dead. But it does not seem to bother him because they are Gypsy dead.

"I swore never to be silent whenever and wherever human beings endure suffering and humiliation. We must always take sides. Neutrality helps the oppressor, never the victim. Silence encourages the tormentor, not the tormented."

From the historical point of view of the Holocaust, what of the "other victims?" The Catholics, the Jehovah's Witnesses? The Muslims? The Rroma? Why does he not step forward for all? Why select out the Gypsies? Because of one man? One kapo? What of current events? Does he stay silent while the Rroma are fingerprinted, photographed, deported? Does he not see history repeating itself?

Why the world calls him a great humanitarian is beyond me. He is just as guilty of racism and denial as a common man.

Should the Rromani people forgive him? When I see him practice his own words, then I will. When he begins to do what is right instead of repressing those who are as dead as his people, then I will. Until then, no. After all, do not Rromani sons equally love their Rromani fathers?

The Montreal Project

I've been in contact with some artists who want to help me get a display together for any museum or library that will have it. This display will focus on the Porrjamos, though how far it will go is uncertain since I have not seen any of the works as of yet.

More good news: we've made contact with Shloime in Montreal. He has promised to contact Oleg this weekend and I pray he will. Perhaps we can get the materials here after all and work can begin in earnest to get this project rolling. I'm very hopeful things will start to happen with this project. Once Shloime confirms, my next step will be to get some students on board to transribe the tapes. When the tapes arrive, they need to be placed on a DVD format. I wonder if there is a company in town who would assist in consideration for their names in the program.

Also, I began to read Denying History last night. So far it is a fascinating read and I am looking forward to really digging into it again tonight after supper.

Latest on the Auschwitz sign

Finally, the three men who stole the Auschwitz sign back in December of 2009 have been charged. The man who is drawing the most attention is Anders Hoegstroem of Sweden. He is a former neo-nazi who founded the National Socialist Front in Sweden. He headed the organization for five years, then quit and reportedly has been a "model citizen" up to this point. Up to the point where he joined his co-conspirators and agreed to steal the sign from Auschwitz.

Even more interesting, Hoegstroem claims that it was his tip that lead police to the real criminals, that he had no intention of following through with the plan, and that he is proud he could assist the police.

The problem with his story is that police were in the process of making the arrests when the anonymous phone call from Sweden came in. It doesn't sound like Hoegstroem is the hero he wants the world to paint him as.

This situation has forced me to look at the neo-nazis in a very serious way. While I know the party basics, it really isn't that hard to figure out, I plan to do more research into their philosophies and how they base their ideas on Mein Kampf and Adolph Hitler. Now there are many branches of the nazi party throughout the world, so this little project might turn into something a little bigger. Overall, I think it will be a very educational project that will benefit my work in the future. It is important to know the enemy.

New project focus

The Gypsy Project has taken a few new turns since I began this blog, hence the lack of writing.

1. I've joined The Artists Initiative Against Romophobia and AntiTziganism where I will be working with other writers, film makers, poets, artists, and performers to get the world's attention on the Rroma situation around the world.

2. I've formed a board to begin to create The Porrjamos Education Project. Our goal will be to bring the Montreal collection safely to the States where it will be catalogued and placed on display at universities and museums around the country.

3. I will begin working on a research paper about the condition of Rroma in Europe. Yes, it sounds open ended, but right now, I don't have enough of the big picture to focus on one point yet.

4. I will be working on completeing a research paper I began about the Porrjamos. As my mentor says, "Time to learn to talk like the big boys."

The first day of the last month of the new year. Time to begin anew.

Time to Re-Educate

So my mom comes over the other day and she starts to tell me about having lunch with a mutual friend.
"I told her about your book, about how you have been doing all this research."
"Did she say anything?"
"Yeah. When I said it was about Gypsies, you know, Roma, she said that you had to be wrong."
"What do you mean, 'wrong'?"
"She crossed her arms and said, "oh there are no Gypsies in Iowa. There aren't even any in the United States. They aren't a real race," is what she said."
"WHAT?"
"That's right," mom said, smiling. "She said that it is a word people use to describe people who like to travel around. It isn't a race or anything."
My mouth dropped open. "Are you sure she said that? Are you sure she wasn't just pulling your leg?"
"No,"mom said, smiling. "She was serious."

When I think about the conversation, all I can do is sigh. This woman is a teacher.

Blind sided

Ok, so I am currently researching the art of writing query letters in an attempt to sell my novel. I'm focused on the details as I read through a chapter of a book printed by Writer's Digest titled "Guide to Query Letters" by Wendy Burt-Thomas. Furiously scribbling notes, I'm NOT thinking about my role as a Roma activist. I'm NOT thinking about the ramifications of stereotyping Roma into the annoying role of "Gypsy magician". I'm not even thinking about being a Roma.

Then I turned the page to the example query letter.

"Carnival is a part-time fortune-teller and occult troubleshooter and a full-time pain the neck. Do you have a banshee that needs a tonsillectomy? Call Carnival. Do you need to give the yo-ho-heave-ho to some troublesome pirate-ghosts? Call Carnival. What about the mummy that thinks she's a rap artists? Call Carnival.

Carnival is a gypsy. His Poppa calls him a poshrat. That's Rom for half-blood. Carnival never listened to his Poppa when his Poppa was alive, but these days he doesn't have much of a choice. It serves him right for sticking his Poppa close to his heart. What a way to treat a dead relative, but that's Carnival for you. ..."

The rest of the letter gives the author's creditials, including being a tarot card reader, so yes, this person has the god-given right to promote the stereotype. At least she got the word Rom right. She must have done some generous research.

Yes, there are those out there who say that Roma shouldn't scream about how the gypsy stereotype is used. After all, this book is not a serious work, so no one will take it serious, so why should I? The answer: no one takes us seriously. Ask people in the States if Gypsies exist and they will most likely tell you that Gypsies are characters in books or movies, such as Madeline and the Gypsies or Damn Me to Hell, or they will tell you they are from role playing games like D&D. Some will tell you there are no Gypsies in the States. Why? Because no one takes us seriously.

I had hoped the letter in the book was a created example. Alas, it was not. Gypsy Blood was sold to Five Star Publishing in 2008.