Saturday, July 16, 2005
Depressing
Today was sobering and depressing day. I went out to Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. Standing on the ground of the most horrible massacre of the 20th century, and arguably ever, is impossible to put into words.
One person almost ruined the experience. While in the "death room" in a very boisterous foreign language, this man could not be more inconsiderate. In the gas chamber and in front of the ovens, he began touching the oven as if it were a broken down car and he was "kicking the tires". He, and the other people he was with, actually smiled while in this room! I think numerous people telling him to be quiet only aggravated the problem.
My inner dialogue went something like this (and if I had the chance to relive this situation I would have said it to his face)...
"Excuse me, Mr. Insensitive Jackass. Imagine that it is 60 years ago. Do you realize that your fat and aged ass would be one of the first people put into that extermination oven? In which case, you would not be standing here prodding it and (probably) making inappropriate comments about it. Have some respect, you ignorant piece of crap."
...or something to that effect.
One person almost ruined the experience. While in the "death room" in a very boisterous foreign language, this man could not be more inconsiderate. In the gas chamber and in front of the ovens, he began touching the oven as if it were a broken down car and he was "kicking the tires". He, and the other people he was with, actually smiled while in this room! I think numerous people telling him to be quiet only aggravated the problem.
My inner dialogue went something like this (and if I had the chance to relive this situation I would have said it to his face)...
"Excuse me, Mr. Insensitive Jackass. Imagine that it is 60 years ago. Do you realize that your fat and aged ass would be one of the first people put into that extermination oven? In which case, you would not be standing here prodding it and (probably) making inappropriate comments about it. Have some respect, you ignorant piece of crap."
...or something to that effect.
// posted by Mr. Muir @ 3:40 p.m. 
