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From: wetcw@pyuxa.UUCP (T C Wheeler)
Newsgroups: net.politics,net.flame
Subject: Re: President-come
Message-ID: <1201@pyuxa.UUCP>
Date: Mon, 29-Apr-85 08:46:03 EDT
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Posted: Mon Apr 29 08:46:03 1985
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Taking Mark Roddy's logic one step further, because
Meyer Lansky was the brains behind Murder, Inc
during the 30s and 40s, and Lansky was Jewish,
we should never forgive the Jewish people for
all of the murders committed by that group.
Sounds stupid, doesn't it?  Isn't there enough
raw hate in the world without adding to the
problem with such dumb remarks?  In the history
of the world, it is just such insane hatred that
keeps rearing it's ugly head to cause people to
repeat their mistakes.  Should the hatred you
espouse against all Germans be extended to the
Poles (not too good a record during the 40s
concerning Jews)?  How about the Spanish, the 
the Ukrainians, the French, the Italians all of
whom, at one time or another persecuted and
instituted pogroms against the Jews?  Should we all
instill in our cultural heritage a hatred for someone
or some country?  What I read from your article is that
there is such a thing as nationalistic blame and that it
can never be expunged.  Do you really believe that all
Germans must share the blame for what happened now and
forever more?  I certainly do not mean that you should
forgive and forget.  I do mean that you should not
forgive those who perpetrated such an evil act, yet
I do feel that venting anger and hatred at those who
have come later is wrong.  I do not think you should
forget either, as in forgetting, we are doomed to 
repeat the evil.  I think a little tolerance is in
order in this situation.  If history is destined
to repeat itself, couldn't the evil possibly come from
another quarter, and the younger Germans, having
learned from history, be the Jews strongest defender?
Maintaining an unrelenting hatred for the German
people could, at some future time, work against
the Jewish community.

However one might feel about the evil of the past,
I don't think that maintaining hatred is the
answer to future problems.  Never forget nor
forgive those who a party to the evil, yet do
not blame the son for the sins of the father.
T. C. Wheeler