In July we spent two weeks in and around Washington, D.C. We visited monuments to great Americans, toured museums dedicated to our country's accomplishments and greatness, and walked the sacred spaces where our country fought itself. In spite of all we did and saw, the most important and meaningful day was the one we spent at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.
We started in Remember the Children: Daniel's Story. This exhibition is designed for families and children. The exhibition guides the visitor through young Daniel's experience as his world changes. Daniel survives. His mother and sister do not. It's a perfect way to gauge your sensitivity for the rest of the museum. If you can't handle Daniel's Story you're going to have a hard time in the main exhibit.
Simply, "The Holocaust," the permanent exhibition is three floors covering the rise of the Nazis, their "Final Solution," and the liberation of the Nazi camps. Each floor contains artifacts that make the history real and personal. Mountains of shoes, coats with yellow stars, and pictures. So many pictures of horrible, terrible acts of evil perpetrated on human beings.
What struck me as most disturbing were the movies of the rise of the Nazis. Hearing how the Nazis blamed their enemies for the hardships of the people, how they demonized the other, how they promised a return to better times. It all sounded eerily familiar.
Just a month later, the swastika was in Charlottesville, Virginia. 70 years after the Nazis were defeated their flag once again flew as a symbol of hatred and intolerance. The President had forgotten the lessons of World War II and couldn't even bring himself to denounce the white supremacists.
In spite of the shockingly offensive and morally repugnant statements of the Commander in Chief, I continue to believe our institutions are too strong to allow us to fall as far as Germany did. Our elected officials and the judiciary are not rolling over yet. The press has been a strong, vocal, and effective watchdog preventing this Administration from going past the point of no return, but these controls are only so strong.
Only if the people resist en masse, rooted in a conviction that the past shall not be repeated, will we be successful in righting our nation and getting back on course. Visiting the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum is perhaps the best way to remember what has happened and prevent it from happening again. Each member of our government should be required to spend no less than a day in the Museum. No matter how they feel before they enter they won't leave unchanged.
I guarantee it will be more meaningful than phoning constituents for donations, lunching with lobbyists, or golfing. And don't worry. Tickets, while required, are free.
