That was then, this is now

What can you say about history? The records show people do bad things. How can years later, the distant relative apologize?

Saw the head of the Germany government after 70 years walk up to the gates of Auschwitz-Birkenau and wondered “What do you say?”

“Nothing can bring back the people who were murdered here. Nothing can reverse the unprecedented crimes committed here. These crimes are and will remain part of German history and this history must be told over and over again,” she said except in German.

“Nichts kann die Menschen zurückbringen, die hier ermordet wurden. Nichts kann die beispiellosen Verbrechen aufheben, die hier begangen wurden. Diese Verbrechen sind und bleiben Teil der deutschen Geschichte, und diese Geschichte muss immer wieder erzählt werden”

Lay a wreath, bow your head and stand still in silence. Have a trumpet play and a clergy speak some words of atonement. Get some folks in snappy uniforms with shiny medals carrying flags to walk around and then stand still.

That about does it. You’re done.

We have these ceremonies for holidays, remembrances and just about any excuse to drag out old military folks to relive hideous acts they participated in.

We (that is the global ‘we’ for everyone on this planet has been part of our species atrocities) save reminders of battles fought (won or lost depending your side) and call them parks. Tourist from all over will look over a neatly trimmed lawn as someone dressed like a Boy Scout will point out where the forefathers advanced and were blasted into pieces.

If that is not enough, great monuments are constructed to the mighty men who have fallen for a cause. The winners write the history.

At the time and place, all these recollections of what family and friends did will become faded and new opinions of what these icons represent may change. History will always discover new archeological tidbits to change the story. History is fluent.

Still how does anyone (or should anyone) apologize for the horrific actions taken by their ancestors?

Do we need to remind ourselves of our misgivings only to do them over and over again? When do we learn?

These monuments of our injustice are only reminders that we have not.

The laws that enforce the beliefs of the society to punish those who harm others with fines, incarceration and even execution are written and rewritten with same solutions of dunking witches.

Will we acknowledge that a majority will depress the minority? Either physical strength or mental isolation some will suffer while other revel in the conquest.

How do the German’s apologize to the Jews? How do the Egyptians apologize to the Jews? How do the Catholics apologize to the Protestants? How do Colonists (invaders?) apologize to the Indigenous people? How do white people apologize to black people about slavery?

Still there are detainment camps and religious conflicts and insurgencies and brutality. Prisons are overloaded, bullets fly every night, youth lay dead in the streets and in the morning the flags will be lowered to half staff.

Pictures at eleven.