Holocaust Museum

I have felt a driving need to visit the Holocaust Museum in Tampa ever since I found out there was one.  As far as I know, I'm not Jewish but there has always been an inner affinity with the Jewish faith so maybe something will show up in my DNA.

I've seen many of the horrific photos of internment camps over the years and felt disgust for my fellow man who could have committed those crimes.  Disgust and fear because I recognize that those capabilities exist in all of us unless we keep them firmly under control.

What bothered me a lot was that we had to go through security before entering the museum and I thought what a horrible world we're creating even today when it'so unsafe everywhere.  There was also a sign-in book which asked for our home city only and not our names.  When I asked why this was, I was told that some people don't want their names shown in the book.  Why???

We entered the exhibit on the second floor first and saw photographs and read stories of the stricken jews and the brave people of all religions who risked their lives to save the jews from the nazis.  I was left with a strange feeling of shame and admiration...shame for the nazis and citizens who will surely end up in hell and admiration for the brave souls who did what was right despite their own personal danger.

And then I learned something entirely new that I had never heard mentioned in all my life.  The jehova witnesses were the only group whose followers completely refused to submit to the nazis and paid the price in death, imrisonment, beatings, loss of homes and businesses.  They alone followed the teachings of their religion!  I wonder why this information hasn't been widespread...but then I remembered how the catholic church, especially, condoned the nazi regime.  The catholic church carries that shame to this day.

On the first floor were more photos, films, and one of the actual boxcars that carried the jews to the death camps.  Shelley had told me about this and I wanted desperately to lay my hands on it and to receive whatever feelings I could.  I circled it a few times, a little afraid of receiving too strong or too violent a feeling.  When I finally placed my hand on the door to the boxcar, I was surprisingly flooded with a feeling of peace and that had to be because every soul that had entered there was now at peace.  This was certainly not what I expected because I knew from photos and stories how ghastly those moments were as the people were loaded like cattle with some realizing they were to be killed.  Maybe I picked up on the moment of acceptance.  I'm just so glad their suffering is long over.

There is a vivid correlation between the rise of Hitler and the unexpected rise of Donald Trump.  I see and fear the similarities very clearly and worry deeply about what damage Trump will inflict on his country and his unsuspecting followers.  I see and fear the anger and hatred in citizens who have otherwise been good law abiding people.  I see and fear renewed distrust and hatred for the jews and others.  The catalyst is Trump.

There have been people who just want to forget about the holocaust and all it represents.  It's one of the worst scars on the history of man.  We can't ever forget it because we need to be constantly reminded that it did happen and it could happen again and it is happening today in many countries around the world.

I can only hope and pray that the citizens of the most powerful country in the world have not unleashed another Hitler.