I don't believe that the world is getting closer to the promise of "Never Again". There were genocides that have happened after the Holocaust and many people are still dying because of racism and hatred. Although we aren't going through a genocide in the states right now there is a lot of racism that is occurring and it's causing many to lose their lives for trying to stand up for themselves. I like to believe that one day we can accomplish and achieve this promise but it won't happen until everyone can see each other as equals instead of seeing others for their race, skin color, religion, etc. We will never get there if people don't learn about the past and think about different ways to solve conflicts that occur. People also need to be understanding that everyone is different but that shouldn't mean that everyone should be treated differently.
1
I don't believe that the world is getting closer to the promise of "Never Again". There were genocides that have happened after the Holocaust and many people are still dying because of racism and hatred. Although we aren't going through a genocide in the states right now there is a lot of racism that is occurring and it's causing many to lose their lives for trying to stand up for themselves. I like to believe that one day we can accomplish and achieve this promise but it won't happen until everyone can see each other as equals instead of seeing others for their race, skin color, religion, etc. We will never get there if people don't learn about the past and think about different ways to solve conflicts that occur. People also need to be understanding that everyone is different but that shouldn't mean that everyone should be treated differently.
I believe the world is not getting close to the promise of “Never Again”. I believe we are actually getting farther away from that promise. Especially now where people are against each other for the differences they have like race, ethnicity, skin color, religion, etc. People need to understand that every human life is valuable and that all these differences don’t matter because at the end of the day we are all human. It’s difficult to accomplish this promise of “Never Again” especially when all around the world innocent lives are being lost because people are discriminators and racist. For example just recently George Floyd lost his life to a white Minneapolis police officer who had Floyd on the ground with his knee to his neck. And no matter how much Floyd said that he couldn’t breathe his voice wasn’t heard. There were genocides still going on in different parts of the world after the holocaust, so why is it that we still haven’t learned from history. It’s like some people are so close minded to see that everyone is human, there is no reason why people should be treated as minorities. It seems that achieving this promise of “Never Again” seems close to impossible. It seems it’s only a matter of time before history repeats itself.
I don't think the world is getting closer to the promise of 'Never again'. It's difficult to do a promise that can change the world. When the whole world is against each other for our race, religion, and culture. How is the world going to say 'Never again'. When Genocides keep happening again and again. We can't leave empty promises to the world that we live in. Today in the world people are fighting for the rights of other races because of the deaths of innocent people just like the one in Minneapolis. We aren't savage to other races, were Human Being and we matter, we're all equal and this promise of 'Never Again' will never come unless the world changes their view on everyone.
This is a very sensitive subject to talk about. The fact that it is hard to talk about this means that it is still fresh on our historical memory. At least that is what we'd like to think but every day that pass we're closer to forgetting. Jokes and memes are made about this and people find it okay, we only seeing this now like a chapter in a history book, we see this pain and cruelty as a possible question on a test and every day it looks more fictional than yesterday. We think that something like this couldn't happen again, and then we turn the tv on and another kid has been shot by the people who were supposed to protect him just because he filled certain physical description, we change the channel and we see that a president is locking children in cages because they weren't born in his piece of land. We may think that the cruelty that takes to do something like that is an infinity away but never is a long time.
1
This was very interesting to read and I want to learn more. People in death camps liberated, almost immediately survivors began to say :never again.
1
As it is prone to do time and time again, history will repeat itself if not taught otherwise. “Never Again” is an empty promise. During World War II, the mistreatment of minorities in Nazi Germany was somewhat publicized (at least to the extent where a few other countries were aware of it), yet people still overlooked what was happening, turning a blind eye in their disbelief. A trust in humanity is insignificant in itself.
It appears that we, as a people, never learn. Two more genocides took place in Cambodia and Rwanda just a few decades after the Holocaust.
“Never Again” will never be achieved if we don’t work hard enough for it. Slavery was abolished in the United States in 1865 only for it turn steadily into human trafficking. We look back at dark times and shake our heads, telling ourselves that it won’t happen again, when we know good and well that it will. Bigotry, prejudice, and ignorance will outlive us all.
1
I agree that the world is isn't getting close to securing the promise of "Never Again". The holocaust was one of the worst and gruesome times to happen in the history. A stereotype of people were killed and tortured because of their "Race". Nazis were blaming them(along with others)for Germanys loss in World War One. They said it would never again happen. Now there is a whole new holocaust going on that people are ignoring it. Muslims are being killed everyday, but no one is trying to stop it. It's the holocaust all over again but with Indian nazis and Muslims. Another new form of racism is stereotyping people of color, muslims are seen as terrorist, hispanic are seen as people who take others opportunity or illegal immigrants. African Americans are seen as violent people. Most colored races are seen as bad horrible people. Even though colored people have improve this world.We can not fully achieve "Never Again" until can accept different races, religions and cultures
I believe that the world is isn't getting close to securing the promise of "Never Again". The holocaust was one of the worst mass murders to happen in the world. It went again a whole race. they didn't don't anything wrong. But in the end no one care and about six million jews were murder. Nazis were blaming them for a war they loss. They said it would never again happen. Now there is a whole new holocaust going on that people aren't doing anything about it. Muslims are being killed everyday but no one is trying to stop it. It's the holocaust all over again but with Indian nazi and Muslims. A new genocide of muslims. People aren't racist too jew anymore. Now it people of color, muslims are seen as terrorist, hispanic are seen as people who take others opportunity or illegal immigrants. African Americans are seen as gang members. Most colored races are seen as bad horrible people. Even though colored people have improve this world.
1
I believe that the world isn't getting closer to securing the promise of "Never Again". The holocaust was a time where German nazis killed 6 million Jews for something that they didn't did. They blamed jews for their losing in war. No one stoped it nor tried to stop it. Even-though they couldn't do anything to stop it. the world promise that it would never again happen. Now we have the holocaust once again but Indian nazis and Muslim. muslims are being killed everyday. News is everywhere about it. Yet no one had done anything about it. No one is talking about no one is helping or caring. Racism is still a thing in the world some colored people are still treated like nothing and slaves. Muslim are seen as terrorist to others. Hispanics are seen as illegal immagriants whether they are or aren't. African American are seen as gang member. Color people are still really above white people and their white privilege. The world hasn't done much to secure the promise of "Never Again:.
I believe that the world is getting closer to securing the promise of "Never Again". Most of these genocides happend in third world countries that have ruthless dictators. Children are taught at a young age about these horrors that people went through and will look down upon dictators who do it.
1
@Gio I have to disagree with you over your claim of these genocides occurring in third world countries, such as it is. The issue here is not that these genocides happened in these areas but that there is little response from developed countries. The Ughirs in China, the Rowhingya muslims in Bangladesh, there is no response from America or the EU, except condemnation, which has little effect. In short, as long as there is an option that will suit a country like the US more, they will not hesitate to take it.
To everyone saying that the promise of ‘never again’ will not be fulfilled:
I am going to have to disagree with you. Not about the mistreatment and cruelty faced by the LGBTQ community. Not about the resurgence of bigotry in western nations. Not about the widening political divide. Not about the oppression of black people at the hands of the police, but about the implications that the promise can still be fulfilled.
‘Never again’ represented our defiance towards genocide. Our resistance towards racism. Our stalwart opposition towards everything that lead to the Holocaust. ‘Never again’ was broken a long time ago.
None of you seem to remember Cambodia or Rwanda. None of you seem remember the Diamond Wars or Apartheid. None of you wants to acknowledge the children in cages on our southern border or that little place called Palestine.
The promise of ‘never again’ will not be fulfilled, but not because reactionaries have a bigger platform to yell from in America or LGBT clubs are being attacked or people are refusing to find a political middle ground. The promise of ‘never again’ cannot be fulfilled because it has been broken and continues to be broken in communities and locations around the world, to the ignorance of countless of people living in fear of a genocide in the future.
4
@Jacob Jarrett I think you're right about the fact that blatant racism and treating people as subhumans goes on in the world today and does not get enough attention, but the Holocaust was a mass murder of a certain group of people, which I do not think will ever happen again. The world is a diverse place. Everybody can contact anybody on this planet. The news of something like this would be heard across the planet within minutes and the amount of people that would show resistance would be surprising. The education our children get is enough to where people would realize they can do something about it.
@Jacob Jarrett
I completely agree with you; so many people are either worried about some vague and minuscule genocide in the far far future or they aren't worried at all. Nobody thinks about the lynchings of African Americans which continued long after our so called promise. Nobody thinks about the intense persecution of LGBTQ+ people, especially black trans women. Nobody thinks of the absurd and horrifying injustices happening to the Uighur Muslims of China. I often wonder how things like these happen, but in all honesty I know exactly how: from the hatred of few and the ignorance of many turning a blind eye.
1
The Holocaust was one of the worst mass murders in history. In a matter of years, millions of people were wiped out for who they were. These people didn't do anything wrong. But that didn't stop the murder of millions of people.
The U.N. prides itself on being an organization to hold the world accountable. To make sure nothing as tragic as the Holocaust ever happen again. But its mission was flawed from the very start.
The Soviet Union was a founding member of the U.N. yet it killed more people than even the Germans. Other members such as Rwanda and Cambodia killed large amounts of their people without the U.N. intervening. These genocides had to be stopped by the backing of individual countries.
The U.N. even today has largely ignored the ethnic cleansing of the Rohingya people in Myanmar. By a leader that the U.N. had previously congratulated for preserving human rights. But that pales in comparison to the Chinese cleansing of their Western provinces. Sending millions of people to quote-unquote 're-education camps' is a disturbing violation of every human right and dignity.
'Never Again' should have never been promised. It should've been obvious from the start that there are no stopping groups of people pushing others down, stripping their rights, taking their freedoms, and when it is all said and done, taking a people's right to exist. We should've seen it from miles away. How ignorant we are as a planet to keep a promise so beneficial. Holocaust victims died in vain.
4
The nations of the world are failing their promise of "Never Again". Around the world, alt-right and Neo-Nazi movements are gaining followers and influence in politics. From Eastern Europe to the Middle East to the United States, the liberal order is starting to show some cracks, and hate and fear are beginning to flow in.
We are not just seeing a threat towards Jews anymore. Even in the United States, hatred toward the Muslim population as well as racism towards people of color, exposed through uneven arrest rates, poverty rates, and police brutality, show that we are slipping away from our commitment to ending hate. Just look at the way our politicians speak here in the US. If I were a member of a minority group, I would be scared too.
Of course, it could be argued that the commitment we made to stopping genocide and having compassion for one another was never going to work and was never put into effect. In the years since WWII and the Holocaust, the world has stood by while brutal genocides occurred in Cambodia, Rwanda, Indonesia, and Bangladesh. Even today, the UN casually stands by while genocides occur in Sudan, Myanmar, China, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. Minority population groups across the globe are in danger and as a whole, the world is not doing enough to help them. To do this, hate must be expelled from our politics and we must choose to do what is right and stand up for those who cannot defend themselves because it is the only way to prevent another Holocaust.
2
@Cooper Hyldahl I appreciate you sharing your opinions. There is no denying genocide exists today, and to completely eradicate genocide is ignorant. However, I fundamentally disagree with how you have approached this issue. In general, you make many claims that are unsubstantiated, and at times the strong emotion you exhibit clouds any logical thinking.
I don’t understand your implication that the United States is an epicenter for hatred towards minorities. Of course there is going to be some dissent towards all groups in the U.S, but we have put in place laws that punish those who act in such a way. That hatred is not accepted in the U.S. by anyone, and it is constantly being denounced by politicians. Minorities should feel most safe in the US.
Genocide obviously exists in the world, and the lack of action to attack this issue is disheartening. I understand you feel strongly about the United Nations to take action, but what authority does the UN have to do so? Doing what’s best for the public good is a slippery slope that often results to exactly what we are trying to fight. The UN already acts as an authoritative body, and if they have the precedence to do whatever they feel necessary for the public good, I would ask: where does it end? I fear the rights of the people could give way to the interest of the public, and the usurpation of power from leaders. Fighting genocide around the world is something we must take on, but I raise to question how we should go about it.
The holocaust is a genocide of European Jews and it happened between 1941 and 1945. They put them in large concentration camps that treated them horrible and they even killed them. The leader of this whole thing was Adolf Hitler. They didn't care if you were a man, Woman, or child. They treated you all the same with no sympathy. They would torture them in several ways, for example they would put them in gas chambers. I first learned about the Holocaust in school we read and annotate a book over it it was called Night it was about Eli Wiesel and his experience during the Holocaust with his dad. In 1944 through 1945 he was in concentration camps at Auschwitz and Buchenwald. I really enjoyed reading it. It was a good learning experience for me. I've went to a Holocaust remembrance museum in Houston with my aunt. It was amazing to go through and learn even more about the Holocaust it wasn't very big but it had a lot of facts and and videos about the Holocaust and many different people involved.
In this age where we as a planet are connected, we seem to be more divided than ever before. Too often we do very little to aid each other in times of need. Everyday citizens did their best to help with them he recent Australian wildfires, but those who could actually make an impact such as billionaires who could donate, do very little. The coronavirus has made it very apparent that some people, especially Americans, view outsiders as “other” and “bad.” On social media, while some do try to raise awareness for the reality of this illness, the vast majority perpetuate the belief that this illness and the country it originates from are bad. Along with America’s treatment of other countries in need of aid, our involvement in war both in the past and present predicts a grim future for our aid with a hypothetical genocide. We as people and as nations are creatures of habit, given how our country did little to help the Holocaust until near the end of the war, it doesn’t seem promising that we will break that trend in the future. The US recently spending over a trillion dollars to fund a war that could result in the death of thousands has many grave implications for us. The deal received backlash on social media, but ultimately we were powerless to change anything. This age of technology brings us as a planet closer together but also accentuates the divide between nations. If anything, this would make a future genocide more possible, but probably do very little to prevent it.
1
While after the holocaust, the United Nations made an agreement to end genocide and vowed “Never Again” through the Genoicde Convention, the collective world today has not made much progress. The phrase “Never Again '' does not hold truth anymore as there are still genocides and mass killings today. Unfortunately, many of the genocides that have taken place recently and are currently taking place today occur in countries with little political stability. Government leaders don’t always have the military ammeniteies needed to intervene, they don’t prioritze stopping the genocide, or in some cases it’s the government leading the genocide. Many people who demand change in cultural genocide, feel hesistant or discouraged because might feel as if they have no impact; however, this isn’t true. For younger generations especially, understanding genocide prevention starts with being educated. People need to acknowledge that genoicde still exists (even if it isn’t being taught about at school), and that genocide affects everyone. Afterall, genoicde is a human rights crisis. Through staying informed on current events, encouraging and practicing tolerance, and being more than a bystander, people have the ability to stop genoicde on a small scale. In return, educating others on genocide raises awareness and eventually these efforts do make a difference. Genocide prevention is a collective effort.
Although I am unable to recall specifics, I learned about the holocaust at a young age. I have been to the memorial in Washington DC. The lessons I have learned from it are abundant, as the unseen influence events such as these have on cultures around the world is significant. To me, “Never again” is a line to prevent ideas of fascism/authoritarianism from coming back into the mainstream. As citizens, our job is to maintain the republic, and not let it crumble under a dangerous ideology. I believe we have ingrained many lessons from the past into our culture, but that does not mean these historical events are not to be learned. They are most certainly still of value. As far as the First World nations go, enough is being done to prevent genocide when discrimination is taboo. Prejudice is most certainly on the decline, but hatred does not appear to be. Racism has not been socially acceptable for much time now. Political rhetoric, on the other hand, has simply devolved into primitive name-calling and hatred. The First World now is incomparable to 1930s Europe, a place where prejudice was widely accepted. Although the connectivity of the modern world is a safeguard against racism, it seems to have backfired. The point has come where the meaning of racism has been devalued (due to false accusations) to a point where true racists have a cloak to hide under. Still, genocide does not seem to be a natural progression from here.
"Never again" means to me an inhumane act that the general public would never want to experience. Like school shootings, homicides, etc. The future is moving fast, so such things that were common in this year may not be in say, a decade. There are so many protests, rallies and all sorts of organizations to help address atrocities towards women, and all kinds of social issues. This phrase can be powerful in the way you perceive it.
1
I agree with many of the comments here. The ideal of "Never Again" is something that we should continue to strive for. For the most part, I believe schools in more developed countries like the United States or the EU nations have done an excellent job ensuring that children and teens are taught about the Holocaust.
However, teaching about the Holocaust cannot be just about teaching the facts. It needs to go hand-in-hand with an effort to foster global unity and encourage empathy. Because it's true. The hateful rhetoric and the violence we see reported in the news every day is desensitizing us to persecution of minority groups, groups in both the United States and in third world countries around the world. Kids and teens learn about the Holocaust. They hear the statistics and see the horrifying pictures, and they say "that's horrible! How could this have happened?" Then, during their lunch , they glance at their phones and scroll through their newsfeeds and read a story about some persecuted minority group in some third world country. And then...they shrug and think "well, that's in [insert random country name]. That doesn't affect me here. Why should I care?"
People act like if it's not happening to them, it doesn't matter. But it does. Because if you stand by and do nothing, while evil is being committed, you're no better than the persecutors. You could be watching aloofly as another Holocaust occurs.
Empathy must be taught alongside the Holocaust.
1
Many schools in america, and I would hope in other countries as well, have been told at a young age about the horrors of the Holocaust. We are shown sad, horrific ,and tragic stories, books, documentaries, speeches, and pictures of what was going on during this devastating time. We are given this information to show how awful it was and to make sure this will never happen again. In my option I believe that the message “Never Again” is given very clearly to the teens and kids in the United States in a positive way, in that I believe that we are smart enough to never let an event like the Holocaust happen in the United States. As for the rest of the world, I believe most of the counties are also on the same page with people smart enough to prevent a genocide happening in their country. But I would not say that the chances of a another genocide happening is zero. I believe that countries with bad leaders in their government, depending on their views possibly could be in power to start a genocide and it would be hard for their citizens to do anything about it.. We have definitely got better and smarter as a whole with the message of “Never Again” and I would like to believe that if a genocide was going on us as in united nations would be quick to stop it before it gets super bad. I do believe the world getting closer to Securing the Promise of ‘Never Again’.
@Brooke T I also feel this was a very devastating time. As I was growing up I was always interested in the Holocaust and what might cause a human to do such inhumane things. I do believe we are very close to Never Again but there is sadly genocides going on to this day in other countries. This is the sad thing because if you look at the history of genocides they continue to happen up to this day. I do believe countries like America understand Never Again. However I do not believe the world understands the importance of Never Again.
@Brooke T I completely agree, but even if we are taught
"never again" in a positive way that doesn't mean other countries aren't twisting the story based on their countries view. I totally think they're could be another genocide in the future. Even if other countries try to shut it down that doesn't mean it'll work. Other countries may be waiting til everyone thinks they're safe to attack and bring another genocide and war to the table. I personally think we're getting closer to "never again", but you never know.
@Brooke T, I agree with your statement that stopping genocide isn't possible. Most of the nazis during the Holocaust thought that they were doing the right thing. "Never Again," no matter how many times it's said, there still seems to be the small things that slip through the crack. For instance, Bangladesh, 1971, East Timor, 1975-1999, Cambodia, 1975-1979, Guatemala, 1981-1983, and more genocides that have happened since the Holocaust.
Corrupt officials, as you mentioned, are an issue that has immense influence over populations. History has been recorded, so we don't make the same mistakes as the people before us. Except there are times in history that the same error has been repeated and still had the same negative effect. I too long for the day when we can stand and say that the mass murder of people has ended, but until we commit to "Never Again," there will always be the times when tragedy slips through the cracks.
I believe that we are moving towards the direction to securing the promise of "Never Again". I believe that in today's day in age that everyone is a lot more accepting . People have been much more accepting than in the past. People accept pretty much all races, genders, sexualities and many more things that make people themselves. I don't think any person would want the holocaust to repeat itself. I also believe that no person has the ability to cause such an uproar like the holocaust. Lastly, I believe that no one would allow such monstrosities to happen again because everyone has the knowledge and the emotions to prevent that from happening.
Part 1
“Never again.”
That’s the ideal situation, but sadly it’s not the truth of our world today. I’m not sure we’re even heading towards it. “Never again” means that humanity is understanding and accepting. It means that we lift each other up. We support each other. I can’t say that I’ve seen that all that much. We have hate in our world; too much of it. There have been a number of hate crimes against those in the LGBTQ community including the Orlando Shooting at a gay bar in 2016 and a more recent shooting at a gay bar in Palm Springs in 2019. People of color are arrested and often killed at a much higher rate than others. Killed. That was a person. A living, breathing person who was loved and loved others, but police officers get a pass. Nothing happens. It disappears from the media, and another person was killed and no good came out of it. They can’t win. We put our trust and faith in the system, and they go and do that. People inch away from Islamic people because what? They’re afraid. Afraid of what, another religion? That’s ridiculous! I can’t even begin to explain why that’s so wrong. Even the people who don’t do these things. They aren’t any better. They sit on the sidelines saying their innocent bystanders. Nobody is innocent. They put their cameras up like it’s some kind-show. No! That is somebody’s life. Someone’s whole world, and people are sitting there watching it crumble like it’s okay. It’s not.
1
Part 2
They don’t realize that nobody’s come for them, YET. Nobody’s safe from the world’s judgy eyes, and next time they’re going to be the star of the show that somebody else is watching. People say, “Oh, I’d for that to be me. I’m so lucky.” That just proves it. They know how others are being treated. They know they don’t want it for them, so I don’t understand how they can sit around and let it happen to somebody else. Think about that. Think about the whole circle that we’re being spun in. We’re uninformed and ignorant. All of us. Zofia Posmysz said that history is becoming distorted, and she’s right! It’s hidden from us. We’re not taught right. We owe it to all the victims in the holocaust to know what they went through, and sadly not all of us do. That’s a part of the problem too. None of seem to want another genocide, but judging by our actions in society today, it’s inevitable.
1
@Shivani Patel Your comment was incredibly insightful and I liked the point you made about rising anti-LGBTQ movements and anti-Muslim movements in the United States. It seems to me that in this digital age, everyone feels like they need to express their opinions for everyone to see. If you have an issue with people that are from the LGBTQ community, everyone knows it. Then, in response, people who are members of the LGBTQ community or are an ally of the community rush to battle with the hateful person. It goes back in forth, involving more and more people, getting louder and louder until it is completely out of control. That is why I think that the "Never Again" promise will never be fulfilled. People are simply too opinionated and too loud about their opinions. Additionally, in sharing our opinions, we become entrenched in them and feel that since now they are out in the open, we can't change or adjust them. Thus, the conservatives stay conservative, the liberals stay liberal, the anti-Muslim groups remain anti-Muslim and so on. Until we can learn to share our opinions in a respectful and meaningful way, a way that is productive and can foster education and growth, we will not progress as a society and the promise of "Never Again" will never be fully kept.
1
Part 2
They don’t realize that nobody’s come for them, YET. Nobody’s safe from the world’s judgy eyes, and next time they’re going to be the star of the show that somebody else is watching. People say, “Oh, I’d hate for that to be me. I’m so lucky.” That just proves it. They know how others are being treated. They know they don’t want it for them, so I don’t understand how they can sit around and let it happen to somebody else. Think about that. Think about the whole circle that we’re being spun in. We’re uninformed and ignorant. All of us. Zofia Posmysz said that history is becoming distorted, and she’s right! It’s hidden from us. We’re not taught right. We owe it to all the victims in the holocaust to know what they went through, and sadly not all of us do. That’s a part of the problem too. None of seem to want another genocide, but judging by our actions in society today, it’s inevitable.
1
@Shivani Patel
I completely agree. The hate in our world today is going to be the reason for another genocide. We just don’t get alone. Everybody has to have a problem with something that in reality shouldn’t matter. We have a way of not looking at the big picture. We’re ignorant to it and to history. A genocide almost seems natural in our world, and that’s a big problem.
1
@Shivani Patel
I agree whole heartedly that we should be in a world that has less hate. Especially towards the LGBTQ community. And your ability to put your opinions out front is admirable.
But I see a flaw in your argument. And that is the actual promise of 'Never Again.' This promise was made in response to one of the worst mass murders in all of history. Of people being locked up in camps, beaten, tortured and then gassed for what they were. I do not see the same equivalent for the LGBTQ community.
The LGBTQ community has gone through many hardships in the modern age. They have to face many struggles to get their freedoms in the modern day. But discrimination is not the same as extermination. Don't get me wrong, both of these are terrible things to do. But one is clearly worse than the other.
I can see where your argument is coming from. And it comes from a deep respect towards the LGBTQ community. But if we want to identify the true hardships of the LGBTQ community. We need to identify what is not a hardship for their community. Genocide is not one of them.
As we progress further and further as a society, I am afraid that we are not getting any closer to the idea of “Never Again”. Although more developed countries have achieved “Never Again”, countries lacking a stable government are not in a place to avoid genocides similar to the Holocaust. Without the existence of something like an International Law, “Never Again” is virtually unattainable. I am not sure how we as one human race can avoid hateful people getting into power— and I am not sure if we can.
Although an appropriate effort has been made to make sure that everyone is educated and aware of the events of the holocaust, I believe that the world is not nearing a place where such things could never happen again. Since the promise to “Never Again” allow something like the Holocaust to take place, many genocides and holocaust-esque phenomena have occurred and some are in progress. An example of this is China, which has been detaining Muslims for the past three years, with plans to target muslim children in the future. Until I read this article, I had no idea that this was happening in China, and am suprised it has not been more widely publicized. This resembles how the United States were aware of the Holocaust, and yet stood by and watched it happen as millions of people were killed. Zofia Posmysz, a holocaust survivor, brings attention to the similarities between the 1930s and today. Posmysz believes that “when you look at some leaders of today, those dangerous ambitions, pride and sense of being better than others are still at play.” Posmysz implies that the increasing ambition of today's political figures to stand out amongst others is a dangerous quality that could eventually lead to extreme and radical ideas.
Do I think the world is getting closer to securing the promise of "Never Again?" ... No. It is in human nature to oppress, kill, blame, and fight, which creates genocide and war. Optimistically one might say that through technology and the memories that have been passed done by generations such atrocities will "never again" happen, but what about when the holocaust is covered up and forgotten in old history books (such as the Rape of Nanjing, which is an atrocity heavily forgotten) and what happens when technology that "brings nations together" brings them together in war over who has the most powerful tech. Remember when World War I was called the "War the End All Wars?" Remember how a decade later there was another world war? Would saying the holocaust is the atrocity to end all atrocities not be the same? People will always be people, they forget, kill, oppress, blame, and fight.
I learned about the holocaust through books, school, and sometimes personal research on the internet. Through this I saw the worst in humans and the control that fear has over people. I think the “Never Again” idea is great and I think that what it stands for is something everyone should stand with. The first thing I thought of was the word “UNLESS” on the rocks in the Lorax. It's a word that is valued by the Lorax and the Once-ler and not the people of Thneedville. The people of Thneedville didn’t experience the lack of trees like the Once-ler and Lorax so they do not see the problem of not having any trees. Due to the lack of understanding, I don’t believe that the humans who did not experience the holocaust will value “Never Again” like those who did. Experiencing something is different than reading it. Anyone who was alive during the holocaust truly understands its, but anyone who was not alive will perceive it differently. The weight of the subject on people will inevitably be less as time goes on. I also think that fear is one of the greatest ways to control humans. Most people in Germany knew what was going on, but they were scared. They didn’t want to stand up against Hitler. Standing against any tyrant is hard and scary. I think that the power that “Never Again” emits on people is less than the power that fear emits therefore I do not believe that humans can hold “Never Again” to be true. It is something we cannot hold true until we overcome fear.
While I deeply wish it wasn’t, sometimes the world can be a dark and horrible place. The phrase Never Again is meant to mean nothing as horrible as the Holocaust shall never happen again in history. This is why it is so important to learn about the horrors of the Holocaust. People need to learn and be told about how disgustingly awful the events that happened were. However, I think the world may be drifting further and further away from “Never Again.” People are starting to forget how horrible everything was. Students have to practice school shooting drills in fear for their own lives. There are several shootings and mass genocides around the world. As a LGBT teen, I know what it is like to worry about my safety in a world full of discrimination. There are people today who proudly walk around with the label Nazi. There are people who genuinly believe the Holocaust was a good thing. We need to make sure that nothing like that will ever happen again. Never Again.
Most Americans have been told of the horrors of the Holocaust since they were young enough to understand, whether it be through history books or word of mouth. When we learn this way, all of the factors, the warning signs, and violations are organized into one linear path of understanding. This way, it is easy to recognize the failures and injustices that occurred at the global scale and make promises to do better. However, it is much harder to recognize these same calamitous patterns as they are happening; as technology and society advance and change, so does the magnitude of the horrors we are capable of committing. With the prevalence of the media in every American’s life, we have a constant influx of information coming at us: protests in Hong Kong, Muslim internment camps in China, Mexican migrants in border camps… the list goes on. We often feel obligated to be knowledgeable and have an opinion on each of these topics, and because we are so exposed to these human rights violations, we have become desensitized to the horrors of them. If a genocide were to happen, I don’t think it would happen because we don’t care enough, but rather because we care too much. We are often so overwhelmed with global tribulations that we have become numb to it. We feel insignificant, and overburdened, and as if there is nothing we can do to help. So eventually, we just don’t.
I believe the phrase “Never again” is too hard to accomplish. It is hard for people to understand the consequences unless they tried it themselves. I agree with the text. In today’s world, we are slowly drift away from the past. Majority of populations probably doesn’t remember atrocities from 2000 years ago. However, I still believe that it will occur less because informations are spreading so fast right now.
There is a philosophy saying that in every situation there are at least two views, perspectives, or sides, if you will. They are divided by wanting change -known as progressives- or staying the same -known as conservatives. When discussing the holocaust and the atrocities of the events surrounding it, this philosophy is certainly applicable. Those that recognize and choose to remember the history of genocide in this scenario would be considered progressives, because they believe that the events of the holocaust should be the constant reminder that the ways of the past should not be repeated. Those who choose to move on from the horrors of the holocaust and continue life as it was before it's recognition would be considered conservatives. Trouble arises when people in power forget the past experiences of the world and are content with continuing their way of life. In today's world the lack of progressing through past mistakes puts us in danger of repeating those same mistakes. If there is no caution in the morals and decisions of our leaders, due to human behavior, genocides and wrongdoings are simply bound to occur. These actions are not justifiable in any way but as commonly said "history repeats itself" and it is my belief it will continue to do so.
The world has significantly developed since the Holocaust ended. Many survivors have vowed that a monstrosity such as this genocide, the Holocaust, will ‘never again’ occur. Yet, two genocides have occured following the Holocaust, editor Nicole Daniels affirmed. I believe that the world has a lot of growth to obtain before successfully securing the promise of ‘never again’. Genocide, as defined by the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, is any number of acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group. By definition, multiple genocides have occurred since 1945, for example, a white gunman targeting Latinos who killed 22 people in El Paso, Texas, Robert Bowers targeting Jews who killed 11 and injured 6 at a Shabbat morning service in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and not to mention the daily harassment African Americans endure on the daily. China, as described in “5 Takeaways From the Leaked Files on China’s Mass Detention of Muslims” by Nicole Daniels, have placed Muslims in internment camps. I bestow these atrocities, to accentuate that the reason behind ‘never again’ has already occurred. The only difference between these events and the Holocaust is the amount of victims and the dedication for execution. The world isn’t closer to securing the promise of never having another genocide, they are getting closer to modifying the intensity by categorizing it as a "mass murder hate crime."
I believe that the world is getting closer to never having a genocide again. I think this because of the fact that countries go to war with one another and don’t really have any specific groups, ethnicities, races or genders that are greatly hated. The genocide that happened with the holocaust was during a much different time and I think that the United States has so much more power now than they did then. I do believe that we need to make sure that we keep the holocaust as a huge part of history. Remembering the personal stories or survivers and ever those who didn’t survive the horrible conditions should never be forgotten. Remembering the stories of those that did the wrongs is also important to learna bout. The preservation of the concentration camps are a visual representation that history doesn’t just go away. History never changes. But, it’s our jobs to make sur ehistory never repeats it self. The camps symbolize one of the worst times this world has ever seen. They show people how awful others can truly be.
@Kallie Blacklock, I definitely agree that we need to protect history (particularly the horrors of the Holocaust and slavery), and that doing things like remembering victims' personal stories and preserving the camps are good steps in doing so. However, we need to apply these lessons we learn from history to the big picture today. Despite how nice it would be to say we’re getting farther from another genocide, I don’t think it’s true. In fact, I hold the (rather unpopular) opinion that we're experiencing the largest and most overlooked genocide right now-- abortion.Much like it was during the Holocaust and with slavery, we look at undeniably human humans and take away their rights because we don't recognize them as people.There's this, but there's also the cruel treatment of immigrants here and around the world; different religious and ethnic groups are persecuted and martyred throughout the globe; there's hatred and bigotry on both sides of the aisle. Bottom line is that everyone matters but everyone is very far from perfect; we let our own selfish ideas and prospects, attempts for power, and close-mindedness hurt others.We ought to have respect for every human life but we don't.I don't think we can fully overcome this major flaw in humanity, but we should try.And to try we have to be willing to sometimes take the harder path, to empathize, to consider others' ideas, and to act justly AND compassionately.We're not getting any closer with all of this yelling and fist-shaking.
1
I think that when the topic of genocide is brought up, it is important that opression of certain groups is important to discuss. Though there may not be mass amounts of people being slaughtered today, there are people being victimized by hatred toward their ethnicity, sexuality, gender, and even their beliefs every single day. This hatred sometimes physically kills people, but more often than not it kills their spirits. To me this is genocide. Though generations are growing to be more loving and accepting, there will always be hate present in the world. Our job as fellow citizens is simple; we must protect each other. Though you may not stand for the difference the other person is exhibiting, you must stand for the person. When you see a person of color pulled over, pull over with them to bear witness to any potential brutality. Walk with women at night to ensure their safety. Protect people against protester violence as they walk into an abortion clinic. Stand up for minorities on the internet and in person when strangers throw slurs around. If someone pulls of another’s hijab, help them cover their head. Protect transgender people in public restrooms. All of these situations represent respect and love to counteract hatred in society and, in turn, prevent genocide.
I don’t think world is any closer to securing the promise of “never again” than it was after the holocaust. China is imprisoning innocent Muslims in internment camps, which are very similar to concentration camps, and the USA is holding children at the borders in cages, losing track of their records and keeping them from their parents. The US is also to blame for the fear of genocide, with Trump threatening to bomb Iranian cultural sites, which would kill countless innocent Iranian citizens. We are seeing a resurgence of anti-semitism and holocaust denial, which makes modern times comparable to the 1930s. There are growing numbers of Neo-Nazis, like at the charlottesville protest, where Neo-Nazis clashed with Antifa. Trump said that there were fine people on both sides. I believe the world is once again headed down a path that will lead to genocide, especially when you consider the fact that #ww3 is trending on social media. We are farther than we have ever been from securing this promise, and people are recognizing that.
I believe that the world is no closer to securing the promise of “never again” than it was after the holocaust. China is imprisoning innocent Muslims in internment camps, which are very similar to concentration camps. Also in China, tensions are very high with Hong Kong citizens and the Chinese government, and there could easily be a massacre against protestors, like the Tiananmen Square Massacre. Even the US is to blame for the fear of genocide, with Donald Trump threatening to bomb 51 Iranian cultural sites, which would kill countless innocent Iranian citizens. We are seeing a resurgence of anti-semitism and holocaust denial, which makes 202 comparable to the 1930s. There are growing numbers of Neo-Nazis, like at the charlottesville protest, where Neo-Nazis clashed with Antifa. Trump said that there were fine people on both sides. I believe the world is once again headed down a path that will lead to genocide.
During World War II, Nazi Germany executed millions of jews in a mass culling. This genocide has gone down in history as the world’s worst war crime. When people around the world finally realized the atrocities committed at these camps, they vowed that it would “never again happen”; That no one would ever try to kill this many people ever again. Since then, at least two more major genocides have occurred such as the Cambodian and the Armenian genocide. Surprisingly these genocides were less spread around the news, despite the recent advances in technology allowing for instantaneous communication and knowledge at the tips of our fingers. If we are going to move into the right direction, we must be proactive about raising awareness and gathering support to end these mass murders. But as of now, I think we are making only slight progress on the issue of genocide because of the incapability to raise awareness.
These studies give me some hope that we are able to prevent future genocides. However, I do feel that the promise of “Never again” is fragile promise, that in my opinion isn't secure. The holocaust was a tragic event that took place, and seeing it happen didn’t change whether we were able to learn from it and prevent it. After the holocaust there were 2 more genocides. In addition to that, we don’t see genocides on the surface, but its prevalent. There is still stuff happening that close to this. Christians being persecuted by muslims, and muslims being held in China. It's all just a circle. Unless the whole global community is behind this promise of “Never again”, this world will just keep living the phrase “history repeats itself”.
I think “never again” is an understatement. History is bound to repeat itself whether we want it to or not. Never again means to me not during this lifetime. It might happen at a different period. The holocaust happened 75 years ago where Jew were being killed for just being Jewish. A couple years ago something similar happened, but among a different group of people. African Americans were being killed just for being black. This started the whole “Black Lives Matter” era. Many were killed in both.I think genocide could happen now. Maybe not exactly how it happened, but definitely something very similar.
At this point, repeating the phrase ‘never again’ feels almost for show now. Holocaust deniers and neo-nazis are rampant, especially in America, and many news outlets refuse to cover it at the risk of seeming too controversial. If we lose sight of what happened in this climate, the repetition of such a major genocide will only seem less and less like a distant dream.
I do not believe the world is coming any closer to securing the promise “never again”. There are still camps happening in China that are holding Muslims. It isn’t exactly like a concentration camp but people are saying it’s close. There are also conversion camps in America that force homosexual teens become heterosexual. With all of this going who’s to say another holocaust won’t happen again.
1/2
I do believe that there is a chance of history repeating itself. In fact when it comes down to it I can't say that humanity has much hope to keep it's promise of "never again." While individuals have the capacity for compassion and change, as a group hate is so embedded into our lives and society that true change towards the betterment of our race- towards peace and prosperity can never be achieved. Thus if hate and bigotry can never be abolished, the possibility of another genocide cannot either.
The thing about hate is that it has no shame, and it is never hidden for good. In circumstances like immediately after The Holocaust, nazi's were ostracized as they should be, but as we can see by the neo-nazi group of today that didn't last. These people never felt shame over what they believed; they only hid it because they didn't have others to back up their toxic white and Christian idealism.
The internet has allowed the catalyzation of these hate groups. Because of how the internet can connect people from all over the globe in a way that could never be achieved before, fringe groups have been able to emerge and support each other beliefs. This fact has been an amazing help for progress in groups such as the LGBT movement, but there is a dark side to it. On the flip side of the coin groups such as incels, and neo-nazis have been able to echo chamber there way back into society.
1
‘Never Again’ does not mean there will forever be peace. Since the holocaust ended in 1945, there has been 24 mass genocides all resulting in the death of thousands. I grew up in Massachusetts where we are known for being a liberal progressive state, but there have been times I have seen inappropriate behavior and remarks that have been borderline alarming. When I see people referring to immigrants as “aliens” I am disgusted. It dumbfounds me that anyone could use this kind of language when talking about another person. The word alien (when not talking about small green men from space) is outdated. It infact reminds me of the Alien and Sedition Acts which was a group of laws past in the federal government in 1798 which included new powers to deport foreigners as well as making it harder for new immigrants to vote. When using this term in sets us back 221 years. Not very progressive. Though it does not seem like a large problem it is an underlying concern. Peers of mine have said “You [immigrants] have no American rights because you are not a citizen.” This is nauseating to strip away their basic human rights. It is the strangest thing to me that someone would ever be unable to look at another person and to see past their liberties.
1
“Never again.” As if words would be able to stop political leaders from supporting genocide now or even in the future. Those words may be a hopeful phrase that we tell ourselves to portray the human race as good people, but in reality, no matter what we do to prevent the bad parts of our history, human nature will never change and history will inevitably repeat itself. For example, right now in China, millions of Muslims are being tortured in concentration camps solely for their religious beliefs. Sound familiar? During the Holocaust Jews were being persecuted for the same reason and not only faced horrible conditions, but were also tortured. This constant hate for certain groups will certainly never change because it is in our nature to put people down and view ourselves as higher people.
2/2
Our own president has said that there were bad people on both sides of the Charlettesvile unite the right protests. The act of implying that the counter protesters who were injured in the attack were even close to being as bad as the white nationalists is appalling to me. Every kind of hate was there at that rally, and to even suggest that anyone who gathered there is on the level of people who believe that others deserve just as many rights as a white american male has is shameful.
In light of these recent events and groups taking form I have taken on a pessimistic outlook on the world. As much as I wish that everyone could get along and accept each other as equals I can't help but think that may never happen. All I can do is hope that one day these hatred problems may be solved, and that term "never again" may ring true.
1
The quote “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” rings through many American minds. America’s flawed history is tough to digest, and our prideful country’s bloody past develops a fear as a society to never repeat those actions or anything near the same level of the monstrosities of America’s past. Whenever any conflict arises involving the US (most recently Iran), news and media instantly find comparisons to catastrophic events such as World War II. This tactic creates a sense of fear in American’s, making them worry that their generation is making the same mistakes as the generation’s before us. All of the terrible woes of America’s past are constantly being reminded to us, so it seems America will try their hardest to not make momentous mistakes that lead to events similar to our past for the near future. But that is just America, there are many injustices occurring around the world right now. In the United States, “Never Again” might resonate with authoritative figures, but elsewhere in the world, where there are different types of governments and power structures, an online phrase might not have the same effect. Will there ever be another secretive mass genocide in our current world where information is hard to keep secret, probably not. Sadly however, there will always be tragedies occurring in the world, and instead of fearing the past and letting those events cloud our judgment, we should work towards preventing current tragedies instead of past ones.
The quote “those who do not learn history are doomed to repeat it” rings through many American minds. America’s flawed history is tough to digest, and our prideful country’s bloody past develops a fear as a society to never repeat those actions or anything near the same level of the monstrosities of America’s past. Whenever any conflict arises involving the US (most recently Iran), news and media instantly find comparisons to catastrophic events such as World War II. This tactic creates a sense of fear in American’s, making them worry that their generation is making the same mistakes as the generation’s before us. All of the terrible woes of America’s past are constantly being reminded to us, so it seems America will try their hardest to not make momentous mistakes that lead to events similar to our past for the near future. But that is just America, there are many injustices occurring around the world right now. In the United States, “Never Again” might resonate with authoritative figures, but elsewhere in the world, where there are different types of governments and power structures, an online phrase might not have the same effect. Will there ever be another secretive mass genocide in our current world where information is hard to keep secret, probably not. Sadly however, there will always be tragedies occurring in the world, and instead of fearing the past and letting those events cloud our judgment, we should work towards preventing current tragedies instead of past ones.
I believe that these three phenomena are huge indicators of rising mass prejudice and hatred. While some argue that the world is nothing like the 1930’s, and therefore the current trends in our world should not be compared to the past, I strongly believe that past historical events help to predict possible future events based on common trends. This being said, the hateful, prejudiced, discriminatory acts that are taking place today clearly point to a possible future genocide. The behaviors taking place in today’s social/political climate are extremely similar to those right before World War II: anti-semitism is on the rise and world leaders feel a sense of superiority compared to others to name just a few similarities. With this in mind, it is essential for world leaders to be more conscious about the rhetoric they present for the world and truly understand the consequences for their actions.
I believe that “Never Again” has not been fulfilled in this world. The Holocaust was a travesty. It is one of the most well-known genocides to take place. Nevertheless, there is evidence of other countries performing several other heinous acts, including genocide. Cambodia and Rwanda in the past few decades have faced massacre. However, in 1948, 152 countries ratified a treaty that adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. Cambodia and Rwanda happened in the 1970s and 1990s. This proves that the Holocaust was not the last of its kind. The phrase “history repeats itself” goes against what “Never Again stood for.” In more recent times, China has been holding Muslims and Christians in internment camps and prisons for their religious beliefs. Over the past three years, China has been holding these ethnic minorities in detention. This is more recent proof of the “Never again” promise being broken. In conclusion, I think that this world should work to create an environment that does not discriminate against any gender, any race, any religion, or any human.
The phrase “Never Again” is like saying we won’t ever commit our actions and turn a blind eye to the atrocities that happened in the Holocaust. We’re better than that and we have learned our past mistakes. But are we really? We have to take responsibility and the fact of the matter is, if America did take action into helping the victims, we could have prevented millions of deaths. Sure, American soldiers stormed the camps and helped survivors, but the Holocaust was pretty much over at that point. Who’s to say that we are doing the same thing as we did years ago and turning a blind eye to what’s happening in China. And who’s to say that we aren’t doing the same thing right now in America.
Something that we can learn from the Holocaust is we can’t be afraid to speak out about the inhumane acts and ignore the victims.
@Carla Luna what you said about not being afraid to speak out about injustices and not being a bystander is a really important lesson. Realistically "Never Again" is not possible because humans are flawed, but being more observant and more educated about whats going on in the world will help prevent inhumane acts.
I feel personally, that some people are working towards the promise of “Never Again” but, most people are not. I think the world is at a stalemate with progress. For instance, there was the creation of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide. But then that progress was countered with the Cambodian, and Rwandan genocides. There are many people who are still being “touched by hell” and the others just watch from the sidelines as the events play out. To me, this is why the World is not getting closer to promising “Never Again” because too many people choose not to take action even if they care. Empathy is not enough. Minorities being brutalized time after time in history apparently is not enough for people to remember what destruction feels like and why approaching it again is a terrible idea. China’s internment camps of various ethnic and religious minorities solidifies how tip-toeing across brutalization is generally permitted because many diplomats do not want to risk financial ties with China. This brutalization can devolve into further damage and violence, and as history sites much violence is allowed until people step in, or choose not to. Voluntary inaction fosters tragedies, but voluntary inaction protects personal interests, so no, the World is not getting closer to “Never Again.”
The phrase "Never Again" does not ensure that history will not repeat itself. Although it is reassuring to believe that this phrase may prevent damaging operations such as the Holocaust to reoccur, history is being neglected. Even today, there are still groups of individuals who ignore the facts surrounding the Holocaust and choose to believe that it simply, never happened. Living with the mentality that history can be overlooked, even with clear facts and experiences, puts the world at risk for repeating the same mistakes that have been made in the past. To argue that the Holocaust never occurred, is arguing that millions of lives were not lost due to the ignorance of a group of people. Unfortunately, there are instances in today's society around the world where that ignorance is being utilized. For example, NBC News claims that "around 10 percent of the Uighur population of Xinjiang is locked up, according to the U.S. government and human rights organizations". A clear example of history repeating itself is occurring in China while the rest of the world turns a blind eye, ignoring the phrase "Never Again". In addition to the lack of information being released from the Chinese government, these camps are being overlooked by those who are not being kept inside of them. The lack of action and awareness regarding the topic of genocide in today's society is creating a pathway towards making the same mistakes.
I do not think the world is getting closer to securing the promise of “Never Again.” The Holocaust was a horrific, tragic event that changed the course of history, and affected an enormous number of people. My great-grandfather was one of the lucky Jews who fled Germany just weeks before Kristallnacht. Given my close proximity to the event, I feel that I know just how important it is to learn from the Holocaust and to keep our promise of “Never Again.” However, as a global community, we are not keeping this promise as a whole. Bias and prejudice are still prevalent in schools and communities even at the local level, let alone on the global scale. Beyond that, a disturbing number of mass genocides have occurred and continue to occur across the world even after having seen the devastating effects of the Holocaust. Within just 25 years of the Holocaust ending, we stood by and watched another genocide take place in Cambodia, and then again in Rwanda. The inability of human beings as a species to come together and keep a promise based on observable history is shocking. We have another chance to make the right choice now in China. Based on the article “China Is Detaining Muslims in Vast Numbers. The Goal: ‘Transformation.’,” I don’t feel confident that we will keep our promise this time around. Based upon my personal experience being Jewish in America, and my understanding of current events in the context of history, I do not believe that we are moving toward securing our promise.
The phrase “Never Again” used by the liberators of Auschwitz is significant in declaring that genocide to this scale, or genocide at all, will never happen again. Today however, many people are forgetting about the historic past that formed the society we live in today. As someone living in the Twenty First Century, I feel as though many people are not sticking to the ways of “never again”. Although it may not be to the extreme of Auschwitz or any of the concentration camps, there is discrimination on a smaller scale. America is just one example of cultural discrimination. In our country, many people tend to discriminate towards Muslims or Middle Eastern people because of past events taking place in America such as 9/11 and the Boston bombings. I know personally that Muslims are not bad people and your culture doesn’t define you as a terrorist, but I think people today have formed a view on these cultures that go against the “never again” phrase. I think that there is still potential for another mass genocide of this size to take place. There are many international issues in the world today that could result in a mass genocide, and I say this because many other countries have very radical ways of expressing their hatred toward another country and they could potentially take genocide into consideration. Although America could never foster its own genocide, there is a chance it would be involved in another countries affairs.
The Holocaust is now commonplace in the American education system. It makes certain the remembering of history, as for its repetition not to occur. The Holocaust Museum, a stop on the school’s trip to Washington D.C., was a permanent location. This was despite overly-hot conditions. “Never again” refers to the refusal of the manifestation of the values which modern man rejects. Genocide, disgust for a group, and mass-atrocity are that which it primarily condemns. It is possible that modern man loses sight of that which it vowed to keep on watch. This notion is especially prevalent in Germany, with an education system failing to teach Germans at a young age what their country was responsible for. With antisemitism on the rise, the words and concept of “never again” are sure to be broken. It is at the same time notable this truly isn’t the 1930s, and making such a faulty comparison contributes to devaluing the phrase “Never again”.
Would technology safeguard future genocide from occurring? As seen on Twitter, it is likely that many different opinions might be provided with the opportunity to be heard. Similarly, it is evident that the rate at which brainless bandwagons develop is facilitated. It is difficult to tell what affect technology will have on such tragedy, but one thing is certain: The blocking of the internet in China, the aforementioned place which continues with Muslim imprisonment, HAD to censor the internet. Otherwise, voices of the oppressed would get out.
I do believe that the world is getting closer to securing the "never again" promise about preventing genocide from happening in the future. However I don't believe we are at the point where we can guarantee that genocide is safely out of reach of being a possibility. However I think it is highly probable that it will never happen again. This promise was made shortly after the holocaust, yet genocide can be seen afterwards in places such as Cambodia and Rwanda. ninety-six year old Auschwitz survivor Zofia Posmysz responded that, "[she] cannot say it will never happen again, because when you look at some leaders of today, those dangerous ambitions, pride and sense of being better than others are still at play. Who knows where they can lead.” WWII began in the the late 1930's where newly awarded chancellor of Germany Adolf began his campaign to fix a struggling German economy, and with positive propositions he was granted his position. At the time communication was especially difficult which led to nobody knowing what the harsh dictator and his army of Nazi's were capable of. Many people were for this movement of exterminating the Jewish population, which led to propaganda in newspapers and with the lack of communication, that's why it was as long as it did for other countries such as the U.S to realize their was a major issue going on.
The idea of genocide is obviously evil & unreasonable under any circumstance, yet people still do it. The idea that there will never be a leader strong enough who is willing to abuse their power like this is very unlikely. I do not think people will ever truly learn from mistakes that were made in history. Shown truly by the holocaust, yet people still are trying to do the same. If a leader with enough power wants to commit genocide, they can arrange it and may be able to suppress the press. The world as a whole needs to realize that countries showing similarities to the examples given like Cambodia, Nazi Germany, & Rwanda should be kept an eye on. Keeping an ever watching eye on eachother looking for signs of another genocide would limit anyone from testing world leaders like Hitler did. The generalizations about a race or religion are used as propaganda to prevent other people within a population to stand up for a minority being used as a scapegoat. Evil people seem to be crafty enough to make their way into seats of power, but that doesn't mean it should be ignored. The global community needs to make genocide unwelcomed and retaliated against. If genocide happens and no action is taken against them & some countries still support them it shows some bit of acceptability. Genocide should outlawed globally & consequences for genocide should be known. No country should be able to even attempt it without global backlash. Only fear of failure will keep those from attempting it.
As much as we all want to believe that the world is getting closer to securing the promise of ‘never again’, the truth of fact is that the world is still not learning from the past. The Holocaust was a time where Jewish people were held in concentration camps and killed by the German Nazis. Millions of Jews were sent to concentration camps and only a small percentage survived. These survivors, though, began to say the phrase ‘never again’ in hopes that something as devastating as the Holocaust never happens again. Yet, in the 75 years since the Holocaust ended there have already been similar genocides, and more than one. In the 1970s, there was a genocide in Cambodia, and in the 1990s in Rwanda. This is proof that the world did not learn from the survivors of the Holocaust. Not just once, but twice has there been mass genocides since the idea of ‘Never Again’ was introduced. This makes one ask, “what will it take to stop the world from doing this?” One a smaller scale, this has happened as well. A student can fail one test and say to themselves that they are going to study next time, but it often times takes more than one failing grade to get the student to study. The constant hope is that the world is going to get better but evidence from the past shows us that the world does not know what it needs to change in the future. So, how many times does this have to happen for us to learn?
@Lauren Covello I love your take on comparing “Never again” to something so relatable like failing a test and reassuring ourselves that we will never do it again. We inevitably do, and the cycle repeats. I think repeating our mistakes becomes something we get used to and it eventually is something we’re comfortable with, because we have done it so many times and we know the consequences. When we said “Never Again” to the Holocaust but then it happened to Cambodia, and then Rwanda, we are repeating our mistakes again and again. We apologize and wait for it to eventually resolve itself, just to boost our moral character and think that we are better than what we were.
Personally, I do not think that the world is getting closer to secruing the process of "never again”. I do agree that the world has made an effort to educate young people about the Holocaust, however I would not say that this has not been effective in eliminated anti-semitism in the world today. What is taught in school is very generalized because many times schools do not want to “scare” students about these horrible events, however I feel like schools should do the opposite. If schools taught the Holocaust how it is and did scare students I think the world could move closer to “never again.” Just recently in the fall at Syracuse University there was a huge issue with anti-semitism and hate crimes taking place. This was an ongoing issue for a couple of months which resulted in lots of issues and chaos at the school with many student protests to stand up to these disgusting actions. Being a Jewish teenager growing up I have witnessed and experienced anti-semitism persoanlly. In eighth grade when my class was leanring about the Holocaust there was an incident with a student drawing a swastika in the school bathrrom, I remember being so upset and taking it personally that people could be so ignorant to do such a thing as we were learning to avoid actions like this. These current events and personal experiences that I have had over my lifetime have made me realize that the world is not getting closer to securing the process of “never again.”
I do not believe our world is getting closer to being able to say "Never Again" and see those results. Most people solve their problems by trial and error, and that's why not only observing the past is important, but also acting accordingly. Word of the persecution and murder of the Jewish people under the leadership of Adolf Hitler reached the US in 1942, though the dangerous man had been in his rise to power since 1933 and widespread violence was in action in 1941. The US didn't insert themselves into the situation and organize rescue efforts until 1944. This lack of reach to other countries and people in need, who suffering from abuse of power can be seen today in the negligence of modernized countries. In North Korea, the people live under the strict everyday rules of their leader. They are not usually permitted travel, have very limited internet access, hostility to some religions like Christianity, limits on free enterprise, and it is one of the most secretive countries in the world. There are other countries who still don't allow women rights. Different cultures and places have different beliefs, but when people are suffering and not allowed the basic human rights of life, liberty, and property, shouldn't those who do have access to them lend a hand? Leadership is power, and power can be destruction. The people suffering cannot help themselves. We waited 2 years to assist in Jewish Liberation. How long will we wait to help those who need liberating now?
The world is drifting further and further away from “never again.” This phrase is supposed to mean that the world will do anything to make sure that the atrocities of the Holocaust do not happen again. Although actions similar to those that occurred in the Holocaust may seem completely unachievable to many, this has not been the case. There has been more than one instance of genocide already since the Holocaust. One example of this is the genocide that occurred in Cambodia in the 1970s. The number of people dead as a result of this genocide is estimated between 1.5 and 2 million. The saying “never again” has been around since the end of the Holocaust, yet it only took 30 years for another major event to occur regarding genocide. The world is in a place today that does not make future genocide seem impossible. If genocide has already occurred more than once even with the saying “never again,” it is extremely possible that there will be future occurrences.
The world is not getting closer to securing the promise of ‘Never Again.’ It is evident that in this world people like to choose sides, the idea of compromise is rarely used until it becomes imperative. While watching the news, and listening to people talk I find that people tend to have two completely opposite opinions, and these opinions tend to lead to conflict within the world. If we want to prevent a future rise of anti-Semitic, and other prejudice behavior it is important to rid some of the constant conflict, and compromise before war, or chaos becomes the only option.
In the United States today we are faced with the conflict of immigrants. The president does not believe that immigrants should be allowed in the United States. There are people in the United States that are completely behind the idea of preventing a category of people from being apart of the nation. Although, the conflict of immigration is nothing in comparison to Hitlers hatred towards Jews, we are still faced with the idea of a strong powerful leader having followers. The fear that an event similar to the genocide of the Jews would reappear is not a crazy thought. All Hitler had was a strong opinion and a group of people willing to follow his lead. President Trump has just as much power, and people who agree with his every idea. It is not possible for the world to promise 'never again,' when the recipe for another horrid tragedy is just one wrong decision away.
The Holocaust is a tragedy that has been burned into the minds of people for the past 75 years. Yet, I don’t think humanity has truly learned from the grim lessons given in the horrors of those concentration camps.
Pol Pot is a great example of this. Although he did not kill the same numbers as the Germans. The percentage of the population of his own country that was killed is staggering. His group killed a quarter of his own population in the name of equality.
Even today, I find people ignore major ethnic cleansings in many different countries. Myanmar has treated its minority Rohingya population as pests. China has put millions of ethnic Uyghurs into concentration camps.
The fight for never again is still an ongoing battle. And claiming that we’ve come close to ending genocide leads to the ignorance of people when a genocide occurs.
I do believe that overall we are getting closer to the promise of ‘Never Again'. Antisemitism in the mainstream is far less common than it was in the years prior to the second world war. Before the second world war, Germany was in a complete economic depression which made the Germans desperate enough to comply with the lies of antisemitic leaders who promised a solution. North America are much better off financially than Germany was after the first world war. I think that education has been what’s played such a big role in getting closer to achieving the promise of ‘Never Again’. Since middle school all the students in our town have learned about the horrors of the Holocaust and the suffering of the Jewish people in Europe. I can confidently say that most of my peers know a lot about the Holocaust what caused its upbringing. Although I also agree that it is worrying that the rhetoric political leaders like Donald Trump can be damaging to the cause considering what a large influence they have. Although most of the Trump supporters at my school which I have spoken to are definitely not anti-Semitic and just disagree that Trump’s rhetoric is supportive of any anti-Semitic groups. The actions of the white supremacist marchers and Trump’s delayed condemning of their anti-Semitic acts (like those at Charlottesville) demonstrate that while great strides are being made, there is still further need to fight against the malicious actions and speech that promote anti-Semitic agendas.
The holocaust is something that “is taught” in my school—I put that in quotes for the following reason— it is quickly skimmed over and stated “this is bad”. Never have we really looked in depth into the true horrors of the camps and the hatred that was circulating at that time. I think most people know the statement never again is a basic hope for the future. What people seem to forget is to avoid this completely we have to know all of the most terrible parts of the history. It can’t be sugarcoated anymore, that’s not how we avoid future tragedies.
In school, we are taught of the horrors and terrible events that happened at Auschwitz and many other concentration camps during WW2; hearing the countless numbers of first and second hand accounts of what truly went on at these places, most students see “never again” as an obvious statement. By learning history the proper way, without any bias, false information, or sugarcoating, students are exposed to these horrible events throughout history and and understand what truly happened. However, the issue is that we are not made aware of genocides occurring around the world today. They have been failed to be represented by news outlets, and change can only come by getting a large group of people on board with making a change; if no one knows about it, how can we get closer to successfully making “never again” a reality.
In school I learned about the holocaust in World History. A terrible event emerged in the year 1941. Lasting 4 years millions of people of the Jewish faith were brutally murdered at large. Many of us thought that that event would be the end to this senseless brutality; unfortunately that was something that did not end up happening. On the topic of if the world is at a state where this will be avoided I believe we are not at a point where something like this can’t happen again. I say this because the Holocaust and all genocides after were strictly based off racism; something still very prevalent within the hearts of many. People are discriminated by their skin color day by day, people beaten, killed, tortured in some countries and it doesn’t stop even for a day. With racism hatred brews and remains within many people even those with immense power within their government. With proper planning an event like this can easily occur in the modern age which is something that is quite disheartening. Although the “never again” mentality is something that I hope most people would uphold to as of current I believe we are not at that point in society.
We live in a world where news can be spread to people around the globe in seconds, so that someone living in the US can hear about an issue happening in the Middle East or Europe and vice versa. But while I would like to say this connectivity prevents us from recreating events like the Holocaust, I believe that humanity will always find a way to repeat it's past mistakes. For example, right now in China hundreds of thousands of Muslims are being stripped of their faith and religious values, and are being forced to convert to the ideals of Communist China. They have refused to speak about or release any information regarding the camps, even though it has been going on for years. This situation closely parallels the Holocaust, an event we said “never again” to. Today there are still mass genocides of different cultures, races, and people all over the world, even though we have said over and over “never again.” Now it is just a matter of who will listen to history and make the world a safer place.
I think that we are not getting closer to securing the promise of never again. In this day and age, we have rulers who have the power to cause mass genocide and its only a matter of time when a ruler gets a minor inconvenience and starts a dumb war. The support of antisemitism still exists and there will be many hate crimes. It is only if many people fight against them and we can bring peace to the world. We have to work together to bring these hate crimes down and have trust with the rest of the world if we do not want another mass genocide.
I don't think 'never again' can ever really be promised, there have always been people against groups that they simply don't understand and with all the misinformation being given it makes is even more difficult to get rid of all chances. Of course, with the laws in place and many people knowing the stories and issues, it's safer than it was, but never truly and completely OK. As more Holocaust survivors pass away and less remember the first hand horrors, even more fake stories are likely to appear, and the distortion of events will worsen so 'never again' will just seem even less likely.
Personally, I believe that the world is certainly not getting closer to securing the promise of ‘never again.’ While the world has made an effort to acknowledge the Holocaust as a terrible event in human history, evidence seems to vaguely hint towards another rise in anti-Semitic sentiment. The support of these ideas still exists in the world today, with various hate crimes occurring in local communities, which surface from time to time in the news. Not only that but the behaviors of various world leaders seem to mimmick the mannerisms that led to the rise of the Nazi party. While most of the world might believe that the Holocaust is beyond immoral and should never happen again, that doesn’t necessarily mean there aren’t people in the world of high political status, who are trying to push forward an anti-Semitic agenda. There is no saying for sure whether or not the result of this will be another mass genocide, but to the survivors of the Holocaust who have already lived through what had happened, the behaviors of the world leaders stir up great feelings of fear that history will repeat itself. Holocaust survivor, Zofia Posmysz is one of these people, claiming that “when you look at some leaders of today, those dangerous ambitions, pride and sense of being better than others are still at play.” Being someone who has lived through the outcome of such leaders, Posmysz is implicating that this behavior might be foreshadowing another horrible atrocity in human history.
I personally do not believe that the world is going a very good job at keeping its promise to "never again" let a mass genocide like the Holocaust happen. In American, we do have persecution of minorities, but fortunately, it has rarely gotten extremely violent. But that isn't the case globally. In Myanmar, the population is attempting an "ethnic cleanse" to get rid of the Rohingya people living there, with a death toll mounting close to 3,000 people. Christians and Yazidis are being displaced and murdered in Iraq and Syria, while Christians and Muslims are attempting the completely rid the Central African Republic of the other religion.
Another issue with the world breaking its "never again" promise is many people in the younger generations barely know anything about the Holocaust, or if they do, they don't understand the severity of it. According to research done by the New York Times, 41% of American adults do now know what Auschwitz is and 41% of American Millenials believe that fewer than 2 million Jews were killed during World War 2. I believe that one of the best ways to help the world better keep its promise of "never again" is to make sure that the generations of people who did not live through World War 2 and the Holocaust learn about what happened, how millions of lives were destroyed and lost because that will help us to really mean our promise of "never again" letting a genocide of any people, because of race, gender, or religion, happen again.
I believe in our modern society that we do not take enough action to prevent the atrocities that were committed during the Holocaust. For example, in the US, while there has been great efforts to combat this discrimination: Youth groups, like in Danvers High with SUFA ( Students United for Acceptance), and the celebration of special events like “Black History Month” and the Gay Pride parade, applaud and give a voice and power to minorities to prevent the abuse of power from the majority. Even with these actions in place, there are still prejudices against immigrants coming into the US and causing economic unrest that they are "taking American jobs"to groups of people like Arabs and Hispanic people. This was a similar unrest that was in Germany before World War II with the Great Depression in toll, and the German citizens, blamed the Jewish population for the Great Depression and "keeping all of the money to themselves", which was a factor that led to the hatred, dehumanization, and eventual genocide of the Jewish people. This climate of economic unrest sounds eerily familiar to the scene in the US with America being in trillions of dollars in debt with "the immigrants living on welfare" solely to blame. This similar backdrop could possibly lead to further discrimination of immigrants "living on welfare" could possibly lead to another genocide; if the discrimination isn't stopped.
The world today is drifting farther and farther away from the promise of “never again.” Despite the promises made, recents events in history and comments by various world leaders mirror those of Nazi-era Germany. Following the liberation of Auschwitz and the end of World War II, 152 countries had ratified a treaty - the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide - which focused on preventing future genocides. Despite this political agreement, there have been various genocides occurring globally that have barely been reported on, causing citizens to be virtually unaware of these horiffic crimes. Genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and more recently China, have occurred or are occurring after the treaty was ratified. Instances of antisemitism occur in politics as well, through micro-aggressive comments made by world leaders such as Vladmir Putin of Russia. It has been noted that Putin spreads “historical lies” and is aiming to erase Russia’s responsibility for World War II. Zofia Posmysz, a Holocaust survivor, recalls that Putin’s comments “takes [her] back immediately and keeps [her] awake at night.” If Holocaust survivors are able to compare a President’s words to their experience in Auschwitz, how can we as a society claim to have progressed?
Unfortonately, I do believe that a tragic event like the holocaust may occur in the near future. The amount of power and ego that some of the presidents or rulers around the world obtain allow me to believe that another event like genocide could happen. In the article “75 Years After Auschwitz Liberation, Worry That ‘Never Again’ Is Not Assured” by Marc Santora, explains new conflict between Poland and Russia. Vladamir Putin, president of Russia, was pulled from speking at the Yad Vashem in remembrence of the Holocaust, due to he and his governments attempt to white-wash the historical record concerning the Soviet-German nonaggression pact of 1939 and the subsequent invasion and subjugation of Poland. It is his actions, along with similar leaders that give me fear for the future of my country, and my world. By attempting to water down the events that killed millions of innocent people, the world should be afraid of the normalization of segregation and anti-seitism. Everyday I see the disgusting discrimation of race in school, at work, and online. People take derogatory treatment of other people and turn it into a joke to get likes. Although I do feel that younger people take these jokes too far, I believe that it is the older generations that would create a movement to go against young adults for their race, culture, etc. I do not fear my generation, but I do fear the generation above me who are stuck in their ways, and that cannot accept people for who they are.
The respect of one’s fellow men has been missing in society for as long as I have been alive. The generalizations that people give to other people make ethnicities boxed into certain character traits, and then scapegoats.
This has not changed since the Holocaust, so I don’t see any reason why the Holocaust couldn’t happen again.
“Never again” is a phrase with no guarantee in the world we are living in today. “Never again” means that history will not repeat itself. People want to believe that something as horrible as the Holocaust could never happen again, but there have already been several other genocides since the Holocaust that imply that this might not be the case. In the 1970s, there was a genocide in Cambodia. In the 1990s, there was one in Rwanda. Recently, I heard of Muslims in China being persecuted and put into camps. In school, I recall being taught that we learn about events like the Holocaust so that they don’t repeat themselves. However, history is clearly repeating itself despite how much people know, shown by the various genocides in the world’s recent past. With where the world is today, it does not seem impossible that something as terrible, horrific, and immoral as the Holocaust could occur again. The world is just as close to repeating the past as it was twenty, thirty, even forty years ago due to ethnic groups consistently being persecuted and the lack of enforcement of treaties and policies by world leaders who must work together to prevent any more genocides in the future.
As society progresses from day to day I believe we are close to reaching stable ground in which we secure our promise of “Never Again” in regard to a future genoicde. We live in a world where news travels at rapid rates. Due to our immense obsorbition in technology it is very unlikly we the people would be oblivious enpugh to allow a genocide to run its couse. For instance in the past month President of the United States launched a missile killing Iranian Commander Soleimani. This was certainly an instance of tensions reaching an intense level that we have yet to see in a fair amount of time. However the significance of this in regard to the absence of future genoicde lies in the fact that people were informed of the attack in little time at all. Social media is such a powerful force of communication that it would be extremly diffucult for a genocide to even begin without the news spreading and imediate action being inforced worldwide. Additionally, the United States of America has a tremendously strong military force. With our current president being eager to remain powerful and keep nations at peace military action would be expected if one were to start a genocide at all. Therefore eradicating threats almost as soon as it began.
Although I do believe that society has changed in significant ways since the Holocaust ended 75 years ago, I do not think that the world is closer to promising the idea of “Never Again”. To me, the phrase “Never Again” means keeping history from repeating itself. Hopefully society and the world around us has learned from these historic genocides and can stop them from happening again. In school, we have read countless books, stories, and quotes about the horrific events of the Holocaust and we are reminded of the lives lost and what these victims had to go through. Still our historical knowledge does not connect or impact some of the moral choices we make today. Risks of mass killing for Muslim citizens have been reported in the Central African Republic due to conflicts with Christian self-defense forces in 2014. Even though many people in this world have been educated on the effects of mass killings, genocides, and ethnic cleansing, the fighting does not seem to stop. I believe that the whole reason why we learn history throughout school is so we can make an effort within our world to keep history from repeating itself and stop potential genocides in the future.
I believe that now, in 2020, people across the world have finally accepted their differences with others. This is not always the case, as there are still many groups that are oppressed around the world, but most countries have advanced in the last one hundred years and have expanded their morals. We now can see slavery as wrong, the Holocaust as completely terrible, and women as equals. People are now allowed to be gay or even change their genders. Across the US there are laws put into place to keep peace and equality for all people, no matter what race, religion, or gender they are. In our country, and any other developed country for the most part, I see no possible way that events like the Holocaust could ever happen.
Nobody wants to hear the gruesome stories about the Holocaust, but every single person on this earth needs to. They show just how bad we as humans can treat one another. As sad as the Holocaust was, in the end it ended up having some good results. This is terrible to say, but it was a huge slap in the face for every country to stop this from ever happening again. It was so bad that it caused laws to form, conventions to be made, and forced people to talk about equality. This terrible, sad, and appalling event might have caused the world we live in to be a better place. Obviously I wish very much we could have done these things without all the pain inflicted on the Jews, but in the end it was a much needed eye opener.
I don't think that the world is getting closer to securing the promise of "Never Again". After the Holocaust, the world went to work trying to prevent anything like it from happening ever again. In the beginning it seemed like big strides were being made. Treaties were adopted and world leaders were committed to working together on more preventative measures. Yet since then not much actual change has happened. In the 75 years since the Holocaust ended there have been other genocides (ex: Cambodia and Rwanda) and we are heading down a path that will lead to more. Anti-Semitic language and attitudes have resurfaced, as well as a political conflict between Poland and Russia, putting us back in a similar situation to that of right before the Holocaust began. Also, very recently there was news about concentration camps in places like China. All of this is ample enough evidence to prove that we are not moving away from genocides. We are still fostering the beginnings of that behavior and it could put us right back to where we were 75 years ago.
Society is doing all they can in order to secure the promise of "never again", but it is not enough. The Holocaust was a horrible event in which we've discussed in school for several years based on several books we've read including Milkweed by Jerry Spinelli, The Devil's Arthimetic by Jane Yolen, and Night by Elie Wiesel. These novels have demonstrated the horrors of what happened in this concentration camps. In addition to these, my school went to the Holocaust museum in Washington D.C. and saw the remains of the artifacts of what happened. The shoes piled up and the dark and onimous cattle car that we walked through is a reminder to me that we must never forget those who suffered. Never again means to me that the world will do all they can in order to make sure that events like the Holocaust will never happen again. It is wrong that society has people in North Korea killing its innocent citizens and forcing them to live in camps. Their leader wants to kill his own people with underground nuclear bombs in order to become more powerful.
In addition, these technology changes in society are not helping to provide safeguards against future genocides because the world is fighting against terrorism all over the world due to race, or religion. There are several church shootings against people of color, and against Christians who are practicing their religion. However, society is not ready to secure the promise of never again.
Though most people like to think that something like the Holocaust could never happen again, and that humans in the future will learn from the past, it doesn’t seem possible. It’s in human nature to repeat mistakes over and over again. The fault lies both in twisted people who make it to power and in those who help them to power.
In the article, Piotr Cywinski said that he could imagine a society that understands history but doesn’t draw any conclusions from it, but that’s impossible. The people who don’t understand history are the ones who are likely to repeat the mistakes of the past. Understanding something means being able to tell what it means and what it could mean for the future. If people understood history, they could draw those conclusions and find parallels to things happening today. People who understand but continue to do things that cause history to repeat itself either don’t care, don’t think anything like what happened before could happen again, or want what happened to repeat. Maybe they think they could have done it better than antagonists of the past did.
On the other hand, if people don’t understand history, they’re more likely to unknowingly cause it to repeat. Ignorant people might not understand the implications of what they do, and sadly, more and more people nowadays are ignorant. History is doomed to repeat itself, and even if not on the scale of events in the past, it will do so inevitably.
1
As scary as it seems, I think the world still has a lot of work to do to secure the promise of “never again.” To think about the events that occurred during World War 2 and during the Holocaust, it is hard to imagine that these events could happen again in this day in age. How could a person burn another person alive, or force them into cars like cattle? One would think that that could never happen again, but however society shows signs of similar events repeating themselves. Looking back on recent history, genocide occurred in Cambodia in the 1970s and in Rwanda in the 1990s. This was not even 60 years after the Holocaust ended. The world still hasn’t been able to overcome hate and anger towards people who they decide are different from them. Hate groups are still around today. The promise of “never again” was never kept in the first place, so how would it be secured now? Zofia Posmysz, a 96 year-old Polish survivor of Auschwitz, also worries that events like the Holocaust could happen again. She says, “when you look at some of the leaders of today, those dangerous ambitions, pride and sense of being better that others are still at play.” The world has not changed enough to secure the promise. People with power can abuse it and hate still overcomes them.
The phrase “never again” in this case, means that history will not repeat itself. However, due the already repeated events similar to the Holocaust and the inability for most nations to help, I believe that the world is not getting closer to securing the promise of “Never Again”. In the article, there “has case studies from 11 countries that provide information ‘on historical cases of genocide and other atrocities...’ If there’s multiple cases around the world where genocide is reported, then how can that be a step in the direction of making genocide to never happen. There has been several cases of genocide not only in the late 1900’s but now in present day. There has been Islams being sent to Xinjiang, China camps, in order to decrease the population of the Islamic religion. The world has taken steps backwards to insure the problem will never happen. Additionally, these problems of genocide are never on the news or are never heard about, becasue nations never seem to intervene. The leaders of very powerful nations never really to pay any attention to it. The Holocaust was able to go on for so long, becasue people turned a blind eye to the problem. I understand that all nations have their own problems to worry about, but these acts of genocide are immoral and dehumanizing. Leaders might feel that there will be consequences if there was intervention, but there would be bigger problems if we just watched it happen.
Powerful people can be very manipulative until they get what they want and reach their goals. Though how badly I don't want there to be another genocide I do see a possibility in there being one. Even though as a generation we are more caring and open-minded than the precedent there are still people that exist and will exist with very strong opinions. There's always at least one person that belives their values are right and wouldn't even consider the other side's thoughts. If someone has enough power and contains such strong veiws towards a race they could try and possibly suceed in a mass genoside. That said I do belive that if one did happen again it won't be as big as the holocaust. I really truly hope that we as a species can come together and love everybody no matter what we look like or our backgrounds.
I feel that the phrase “never again” should be done without saying considering the circumstances of this tragic event. Countless lives were lost and millions more were negatively impacted during this time in history. It is hard to understand that this even happened due to the complete disregard for human lives and how an entire race was targeted nonstop. Sadly this is not the first time in our history that people have been killed due to their race. While we can not change the past mistakes of those before us we can do everything in our power to make sure history never repeats itself. It does not matter where you are from or what language you speak but we are all human and should treat all with respect and at the end of the day everyone just wants to live a happy life, so let people do so.
We as humans like to hide dark truths from ourselves even though deep down we know the reality. While we like to think that we are getting closer to securing the promise of "Never Again," we hide the fact that we have been living in a time not much different from that of the holocaust. As mentioned, many efforts have been made by outstanding groups of individuals to keep the movement going and the to keep the memories of the Holocaust. While this is pretty much an everyday aspect of our lives and part of our school curriculum, people still seem to have not learned from the horrible tragedy that was the Holocaust. All around the world today there is still an alarming amount of hatred towards ethnic and religious groups. How can we as people say that something like the Holocaust would ever happen again when in fact it has been happening such as the genocides in Cambodia, Rwanda, and China. The fact that these are still happening truly shows that this movement hasn't changed everyone and their ideologies. My family has somewhat of a personal experience with hatred from groups of people. Being of Bosnian descent and growing up during the war in Yugoslavia, my family had no choice but to leave. The people of the country were persecuted and murdered as a sort of ethnic cleansing. The fact that any of this has happened and is still happening after the Holocaust proves that the promise of "Never Again" has failed. People know about the Holocaust but don't stand against hate still.
The innovations and progress of the world have always been propelled by the selfish desires of society. There are those that believe they are superior, and those that believe in the importance of benevolence and supporting each other. I agree with the article. Present-day decisions and actions (both from leaders in government and others in society) are moving farther and farther from the considerations of the past.
Ms. Posmysz is right. Who knows if we can prevent a similar Holocaust in today’s world when there are leaders who lead for themselves and not their country, those who base their decisions and worlds on their own sense of righteousness and selfish desires.
Human connections have become lost to the idea of “us against the world.” Throughout these years, we haven’t gotten closer to eliminating racist or sexist views. It even seems like the world has become more divided. We need to put down some of our selfish desires to look into the future.
I think that the world isn’t getting closer to securing the promise of “never again”. In my personal experience I have heard about incidents in my community that show prejudice towards certain races. For example I saw on the news that a college was vandalized with graffiti that was meant to be a statement of resentment towards Jewish people. Although this example does not speak for the entire world, the culture of prejudice and hatred towards certain groups of people that caused mass genocides and torture still lives on today. As Piotr Cywinski, the director of the Auschwitz-Birkenau State Museum stated in the article, “ We seem to be having trouble connecting our historical knowledge with our moral choices today.” As time passes we learn about behaviors that encompass events in history but fail to evaluate how those behaviors live on today. Since the Holocaust there have been major genicides in Cambodia and Rwanda. Together these genocides killed millions. As moral human beings we need to improve the way we treat one another. I hope moving forward we can truly “never again” repeat the destructive actions of history.
Never Again? Bound to happen again. We all focus on the Holocust and how bad it was but we never talk about why it happened. Yes it was ordered by Hitler and his subordinate officers and carried out by the Germany military but where did he get the idea. We need to go back about 20 years to the Ottoman Empire and the 1.5 million Armenians that were killed. The Ottoman Empire got off with a slap on the wrist for this and Hitler thought that since the Ottomans got off mostly scott free with it, he could too. Thus leading to the Holocust. If we look at the past there have hundreds of genocides that killed many millions of people. These include Rwanda, Indonesia the USSR, China, Libya, Pakistan, Croatia are just a few. If we let global leaders off with a slap on the wrist or turn our backs to the smaller genocides, who's to say that another power hungry maniac with a silly mustache won't hijack a country when its down, promise prosperity to its people, and implement mass sterilization and killing of those who are "inferior".
I was first introduced to the Holocaust in 8th grade and from then on we have read novels about the Holocaust and focused lessons around the history of that period in time. In 8th grade we even visited the Holocaust museum to see the tragedies put to reality. It still amazes me that something so dehumanizing and cruel could have happened in our world. I am glad to have continued my learning of different accounts and experiences and to spread the phrase "never again." By schools being required to teach lessons around the Holocaust it is contributing to spreading this phrase. Our job is to promote peace in our communities. I agree with Piotr Cywinski that current generations have trouble connecting the extreme racism of the past with "moral choices today." People should realize that everyday acceptance is key to spreading a hopeful future, however I believe that a genocide is far out of reach with society worldwide learning the negative affects of such an event. If a group does start something violent I have high hopes that world leaders will have enough background to want to stop a genocide in its tracks. On the other hand, I am open to understanding other sources such as one that reported genocides are under way in places such as Xinjiang China where members of the Islam religion are being sent to detentions. Some groups and people will always be unwilling to accept others but as everyday people all we can do is never stop teaching the Holocaust and promoting "never again."
The lesson that really stuck with me while learning about the holocaust was how powerful of a weapon fear and dehumanizing actually are. I believe that a good way to relive something is to forget about it or deny it ever happened. I think its important for us to keep visiting the museums, and to keep reading the books, and teaching it in our schools so that we don’t start to see it as unimportant, thus giving history a chance to repeat itself. I fully agree with Piotr Cywinski’s belief about how we have trouble with our historical knowledge and relating it with our moral choices. I believe people think that we as a society wouldn’t let something as horrific as the holocaust reoccur, but it’s really not as simple as they think. People will always want more power over someone else, injustices will always be kept secret from the world, fear will always be a good motive for turning a blind eye to unfairness. I don’t think there will ever be enough done to prevent things like genocide, but I do think it’s important for us to be socially aware of what is happening in our world and to constantly remind ourselves and other people of the gravity of genocide.
The phrase never again means to me that we accept that we have done something clearly wrong in that we attempted to completely kill a group of humans purely based on their beliefs and in understanding that we were wrong we are now promising that we won't repeat these actions no matter who it is in reference to and no matter the circumstances. I think that the responsibility in each of us is to not let the world forget and chance history repeat itself. I also think that we as humans must have forgotten this because all around the world terrible things like this happen maybe not to the same level but it does not matter how much or how little of a scale it is.
One thing that I have come to observe at least in this country, is that the tolerance towards diversity of thought has been threatened lately. Whether it be due to religion or politics, it seems that if disagreement has become a quick spark to start chaos between people. Today people are less open to consider other people's opinions and consider comprehending perspectives that contradict their own. On the contrary we tend to argue and fight until one side is crowned victorious or shut up. It seems that the thought, especially in the youth generation, is scream until the other side shuts up and does what you are screaming, rather than having a calm and reasonable debate, where the thought is, “Lets debate to get this right,” and not “let’s debate so I’m right.”
@Abner I agree that as a country, open minded isn't a very accurate overall reflection of our people anymore. It seems that we have forgotten the difference between an argument and a debate. People scream back and forth at each other because they have different views, and they refuse to accept that somebody could possibly see things differently than them. People say that there is nothing wrong with a "healthy debate", and I totally agree with that statement. However, I cannot say that we are truly debating with each other anymore. We only argue. When arguing, you do not care to listen to what the other person has to say; your sole purpose is to convince them that they are wrong and you are right. In a debate, people explain their views and carefully consider others' points in an attempt to better understand each other and the subject. With this new era of disapproval of those with different beliefs or opinions, it is concerning to see and predict how this is affecting our younger generations and how it will affect our future. In a world where people are afraid to speak what they believe and oppose things that the believe to be wrong, I have no doubt that another genocide or Holocaust is possible. When opinions and beliefs are frowned upon, people begin to be frowned upon. With freedom of thought and speech, we should look to protect those who do not have that blessing, or else they will fall victim to a group with the power and means to eliminate their beliefs.
Part 2:
Even if I wish the phrase “never again” was true, there are too many bad things that are being done to others in this world. Right now there are camps in China built especially for the Uighurs. These Chinese Muslims have been rounded up and kept locked down in these camps. There are horrifying stories about what happens to them. This one group of people is going through their genocide and what are other countries trying to do to stop it. Nothing. Absolutely Nothing. Since many countries rely on each other for trade and other military alternatives, no countries are trying to take action against China in fear of a war or a worsened economy. That is why I think that while we won’t see a massive genocide on a continental scale, countries with enough power won’t see blowback for their crimes because of the consequences that may come with that criticism.
@Akye Nixon-McCray, you bring up a really important but upsetting point. Many countries are not doing much to stop the genocides that they know are going on because they rely too much on each other for trade and other things. I truly believe that countries need to make an effort to stop the persecution of the Uighur people in China because they are being persecuted for what they believe in, which I believe is going against the inalienable rights of human beings that we set in stone during the Enlightenment.
@Akye Nixon-McCray
What is being done to Uighurs in China is horrible and reprehensible, but the alternative is not war, as you suggest. As bad as it is for the Uighurs, conditions brought on by a war will be astronomically worse. With the sheer amount of manpower China has access to any conflict with them could bring horrifying amounts of casualties. Genocide is horrible and measures need to be taken against it, but war is almost never the answer.
Part 1:
The biggest problem I think we have to do is that we actively try to forget the past. People are ensnared in their daily lives. Looking towards a future which they hope will be bright. Today we are obsessed with solving problems like climate change or gun violence which are newer things that plague our generation. However, if we don’t remember the past for our accomplishments and shortcomings something like the Holocaust could happen again.
It is the connection between our history and morals, which the article describes, that makes us never forget. The article also talks about the preservation of Auschwitz and the remaining Holocaust survivors. Of course, preserving what we have of that era is a great thing. Although we all need the remembrance of those events which make the site historic.
@Akye Nixon-McCray You bring up a really good point about not focusing on past events, because our past is just as important as our future. History can help us solve current problems, and prevent us from recreating others. In order for us to ensure a bright future, we need to focus on our past
There is no way to confidently say “never again”. Even when people say it these days it sounds like wishful thinking: like they want it to never happen again but are second-guessing themselves. And they are right. This will undoubtedly happen again. History repeats itself. Already we are seeing large amounts of antisemitism and if you look in places like North Korea and even the US, you will find prisons and work camps that are disturbingly similar. If you look at Trump’s immigration camps you will find the government keeps people against their will in large camps and in horrible conditions. In North Korea, anyone that is considered an enemy to the government is shipped to Tynda, Siberia or Northern Korea to work in horrible conditions for the rest of their life with around 40% dying from malnutrition or starvation. Sound familiar? People who did not agree with their countries platform being shipped off with a large majority of them dying? All of a sudden “Never again!” sounds more like “Never again?”country's
“Never forget” is a phrase instilled into the minds of all generations after the Holocaust. A reminder that genocides such as this should never happen again. Although I fear we are losing the meaning behind this reminder, as it becomes more involved in our textbooks but not our hearts. We learn in schools how the Holocaust destroyed innocent lives, but never connect that to present lives. Marc Santora said that “More and more we seem to be having trouble connecting our historical knowledge with our moral choices today.” We can see this today with Cote d'Ivoire presidential election leading to the mass destruction of citizen’s lives. Violence against citizens has dramatically increased after a political change in power. With a history of mass killings many experts predict that a genocide may occur. Much of the world turns a blind eye, to avoid any larger conflicts at risk. Even today we see people ignoring major events in history very similar to the Holocaust but with less recognition. From 1914 to 1923 around 1.5 million Armenian citizens were brutally murdered for no just reasoning, besides ignorance and hate. If we can not fully acknowledge the past, how are we supposed to grow in the future? By just watching everyday unkind acts we are contributing to the problem. In the past we have just stood by while we slowing watch certain groups of people being attacked, and then all at once destroyed. Once the world solves this problem then we can truly say, “Never Forget”.
@Mary Pellicio Knowing how to connect something we’ve learned in history such as an event as prominent as the Holocaust to our morals and the beliefs of our nation and world today is extremely important, but too often goes unrecognized. I agree with you completely, and being able to read your comment made me realize just how much meaning and emotion and thought goes into the words “Never Forget” and “Never Again.” Being able to confidently say those words and move on towards a better and brighter future is something our country and our world has said has been done multiple times, but has it actually been done? Learning how to bridge the past and events like the Holocaust to the future for the benefit of humanity is something that will be really beneficial.
My biggest hope coming out of reading this article and your comment is that the world will soon know how to confidently say “Never Again”, and mean it, not just hope for it. Because hope only goes so far without action, drive, and change.
The Holocaust, a moment in the World's history that will never be forgotten. The promise, "never again," has been honored for the last 75 years, and I hope it will continue to last infinite years. In the generation that we live in, we have cell phones, social media and quick methods to get in touch with each other. This is something that was not available in the times of the Holocaust. With social media, news can quickly spread. For example, at my school, there was a rumor that spread throughout Snapchat. Faculty, police and students all found out with in hours. I think that because social media gives us the ability to post and interact with each other we have the possibility of keeping our promise, "Never again." However, in our day right now, China has detention camps of Muslims. One man who experienced his father being arrested and his mom leaving for Beijing, explained how it affected him. He said that his dad had been arrested just for practicing the Muslim religion. He asks that the people of the United States ask their government to help the Muslims in re-education camps. He said that it is not re-education camps but jail. This makes me believe that the Holocaust could happen again due to the media not being completely honest on what is happening around the world. I think that since we have the technology to promote things happening around the world, then we should have the ability to share true news around the world.
@Sydney Jones, When we use the phrase "never again", not only are we agreeing to prevent a future Holocaust but agreeing not to isolate someone for their race, gender, or beliefs. Sadly, people don't always live by this rule as I see and hear disrespectful comments in person or online.
I don't believe we will come across another holocaust in the near future but I wouldn't be surprised if I saw hate crimes including mass genocides.
I agree with you that these camps and situations can happen anywhere especially in China where someone practicing Islam was arrested and sent to jail.
We should be able to express ourselves through out identify which can include race, religion, sexuality, and gender through the media’s but honesty is lacking. I believe that until we talk face to face and understand all sides, a war may come.
1
@Sydney Jones, This is a very interesting point that you make. While technology does make news more readily available to the public, it is really impossible to tell if someone has been distorting or filtering or even flat out lying about our news. During the Holocausts, the death camps were almost entirely thought of as holding areas or work camps, not as a place where many were being slaughtered daily. It makes me wonder if we have any locations such as these that have been covered up by the usage of media. Technology is a double-edged sword when it comes to this, and the sad thing is that politicians have become more and more focused on advancing their parties that it becomes easier to forget when the means outweigh the results.
We look back on the Holocaust as something that can never happen again, but genocide has not stopped and is often largely ignored by the rest of the world. Although I believe the Convention and its associated countries would probably step in before genocide escalated to a Holocaust scale, it does minimum effort to stop genocides that are not altogether incredibly impactful to the rest of the world. Since when the agreement of “Never Again” was started, it has happened again in places like Rwanda and continues to happen today, like in China where millions Muslims are being kept in internment camps and the signs of genocide keep getting more and more clear. Part of this may be attributed to how easy it is to be uninformed on these events because of how little news coverage they get and how a large portion of the world is unaware it is even happening.
@Madelyn Elvart
History always repeats itself. If it happens once, it will surely happen again, and again. Although genocides are horrible and awful, it's something that needs to occur in order for crazy people to realize how terrible it is for the world.
@Madelyn Elvart
I completely agree that genocides really haven't stopped because of all these other occurrences. On the other hand, I do not believe the term "never again" can be promised or even assumed. We have to learn from our mistakes but at the same time more and more power is being given to people because of technology and our advancements so it is therefore getting easier for evil people to be evil. History always finds a way of coming back in a full circle. This includes the good and the bad.
We look back on the Holocaust as something that can never happen again, but genocide has not stopped and is often largely ignored by the rest of the world. Although I believe the Convention and its associated countries would probably step in before genocide escalated to a Holocaust scale, it does minimum effort to stop genocides that are not altogether incredibly impactful to the rest of the world. Since when the agreement of “Never Again” was started, it has happened again in places like Rwanda and continues to happen today, like in China where millions Muslims are being kept in internment camps and the signs of genocide keep getting more and more clear. Part of this may be attributed to how easy it is to be uninformed on these events because of how little news coverage they get and how a large portion of the world is unaware it is even happening.
@Madelyn Elvart Yes, the holocaust, from what I have been taught as a student in the United States, is taught as something that should "never again" be seen in our history. Unfortunately instances have occurred regarding genocide in other nations, even since the "Never Again" agreement was started, like you said. We need to bring this agreement the attention it needs from the entire world. Just like the saying goes, "those who do not learn history as doomed to repeat it."
In the year 2020 ;where white cops are still murdering innocent people of color, where white-supremacists are still committing hate crimes, and where people still believe they are better than others is the perfect breeding ground for another mass genocide. As a person of color in society today, I have had many instances of people expressing a sense of superiority and prejudice towards me solely based on how I look. Now I am not comparing glares from older men in a fancy restaurant to the largest genocide to occur in the world. But like anything there are extremists in almost anything you can think of, and unfortunately still today there are organized groups who's sole purpose is produce hate and negativity onto others. And while I believe that we live in a much further progressed society then a large portion of the earth, whilst there are still people and groups who think and and believe in such a egotistical and superior manner, that anything is possible including another mass genocide.
@Maximilian Leete, I agree with you on the statement that "there are extremists in almost anything you can think of." Do you think that with each generation becoming a little bit more understanding and compassionate that one day there could maybe be world peace? I was thinking about social media, the internet, and how people are now able to connect and somewhat break away from their parent's views on the world specifically their political views. Do you think that everyone will be accepting of one another in the future exempting those one or two stubborn people not willing to change their minds?
'Never Again' could be used in regards to many tragedies worldwide, yet, Holocaust remains the most overemphasized and most publicized tragedy of all time.
If we would like to get kinder and more tolerant as a whole, which fortunately I believe we are, we need to emphasize and publicize all kinds of cruelties and injustices rather than focusing on a few.
@Farnaz
Yes, it is true 'Never Again' can be used for multiple things. But there is no rule stating that that phrase can't be used for other things.
The Holocaust is often used as a main example because it was one of the very few times the entire world played a role in a conflict. It was also one of the only times that very soon after the genocidal actions had been stopped almost everyone agreed that it was a terrible act. This is what makes the holocaust such a commonly used and politically incorrect tragedy.
As our world stands now, "never again" seems like an empty promise. The new technology of the Internet has allowed for hate-mongering propaganda to be spread faster than ever. Countless political groups express their desire to return to the "way our country used to be" - essentially a white European nation. Police violence is more rampant than it ever has been before. Young children are being held in cages because of their ethnicity, or the ethnicity of their parents. Although we are not yet at the point of genocide, we are exhibiting all the warning signs, and no one seems to be paying attention. It is hard to say that if economic conditions were different, we wouldn't be spurred on into another period of extreme violence toward certain groups. It is also worth noting that people are already dying because of hatred toward certain groups. The conditions that immigrant children are held in put them at high risk of disease, such as typhus - the same virus that killed Anne Frank. Racial minorities who are targeted by police are often shot and killed. We may not be seeing the use of gas chambers, but when large groups of people are targeted for their race or ethnicity, detained in dangerous conditions, and routinely murdered because of their identities, it is surely a sign that something is wrong. At this point, "never again," is starting to seem more like "very, very soon."
I believe that Humans have failed to get to a place of "Never Again". Genocides and mass violations of human rights are still happening. Although an Assembly has been made to prevent these things, it does not work. People are still being put in work camps and deportation camps that violate human rights. In North Korea, Labor Camps which work people to death still existed up until 2012. Sadly, while efforts are being made by world leaders, the world simply has too many people and too little resources to solve an issue as large as human rights. So at least for 2020, I believe it could happen again.
I believe it could happen again. I think that in first world countries we have been educated enough and have a since of what killing somebody really mean, but in places with extreme poverty the hunger for power could cause another genocide. Individuals living in extreme poverty are not only uneducated on past history and the crushing effects of other genocides, they might follow a leader who promises to take them out of poverty just as Hitler did in Germany after World War 1. Yes the possibility of a genocide has gone down in extremely developed countrys but we still need to help those less fortunate to avoid any further atrocity's.
The Holocaust means a little more to me because it hits close to home. Members of my extended family were forced to flee Germany in fear of their lives because they were Jewish. One member, although i do not know her name, was forced to endure the terrible hardships of being in a concentration camp. My Great Grandfather Henry had all his property, land and money taken by Nazis. I wish I knew more about my culture and my families past, I wish I could know their names, their faces, what exactly they had to go though. However, I still have their blood in my veins. When I hear about things like the Muslim ban, the persecution of people due to their culture, and the stark bigotry present in America today, the phrase “never again” seems like a lie. As a culture, we are taught to fear things we do not understand. When a mob of people get together, they can easily become evil, just look at the recent white supremacy rallies, the huge numbers of people in attendance, yelling and holding torches. I hate to be so cynical, but I can easily envision another genocide occurring in America. But, it doesn’t mean there will be one. If we hold true the statement “never again”, practice compassion and accepting each others differences, and don’t let a charismatic ruler lead us to hatred and violence, we can overcome anything. We can learn from past suffering to ensure history never repeats itself.
As the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz- a Nazi Concentration Camp during the Second World War- passes, I’d like to think society has changed significantly since then. I know there have still been genocides and there are still people living in camps- the Muslims being persecuted in China is the example that comes to mind- with living conditions close to those of Auschwitz and others, but I still think we have come a long way. My school is currently putting on a production of The Diary of Anne Frank, and I had the chance to have a student leadership role in the production. Early on in the rehearsal process, the cast alongside the director and I, sat at a table and talked about the script- questions we had about the characters, but most importantly, the historical context of the play. We looked at pictures of the camps and talked about similar situations taking place in the 21st century. Every single person at the table was appalled. “Never again”, to me, does not mean that a government will never prosecute its people for a reason such as religion, race, or background, but instead means we will never sit back and allow it. The world knew of Hitler’s persecution of the Jews but allowed it out of fear. After talking with the company of The Diary of Anne Frank, I knew that as a people, we will never be bystanders to such a terrible humanitarian crisis. I do, as Anne Frank did, “believe that, in spite of everything, people are truly good at heart.”
I think we are just human beings who do things unconsciously and realize they did it later on in life. People can change but i think it’s hard for a human being not to judge or criticize because it’s just normal in society and no ones perfect. I don’t think genocide is the answer I just think we as human beings can’t stop ourselves at a point.
In the 75 years since the horrific events of the Holocaust the world collectively promised itself “Never Again”. However since that promise was made many genocides have occurred and some are currently ongoing. All throughout history we see a common stance on injustice in the world: “if there isn’t many people complaining about it then there ain’t no problem”. In WW2 the United States and other countries world wide were aware of the horrors of the ongoing holocaust, however going out of their way to stop it wasn’t in their best interest so they stood by and watched it happen. Today China is putting Muslims into “re-education camps”, torturing, killing and raping them with no mercy. In Burma millions are fleeing across the border to Bangladesh in hopes they can take refuge from the mass slaughter of their people. But what is the world doing? No one is touching China because they’re the cheapest way to get products and calling them out on their actions would mean prices for goods would go up. People are going after Burma and condemning their actions but will only go so far to pretend they’re doing something when in reality they’re doing something. If these types of governments remain like they have for the past 50 years we can be sure there is no hope for 2020 - but if the people can envoke change then there may be hope after all.
I’ve had the opportunity to learn a lot about the Holocaust in school: for example, I read The Diary of Anne Frank, Night, and Maus in middle school, all of which depict first- or second-hand accounts of the Holocaust. However, the education system as a whole is beginning to diminish the horrific severity of this genocide, and many students cannot say the same about their experiences of learning about the Holocaust. The phrase “never again” no longer means an end to genocides, as this has already failed, but now means that we cannot forget what happened during the Holocaust — and even that is on a trajectory to fail as well. Perhaps the most dangerous aspect of this is that people don’t recognize the precursors to genocide. We condemn genocide and swear to prevent it at all costs, but how can we when we can’t even see it coming? To truly ensure that genocide never happens again, we need to thoroughly teach the Holocaust and other genocides in schools and take actions to protect minority groups.
Since the holocaust there has been many mass genocides of minority groups: differing religions, races, tribes, etc. There is one happening right now in China; Muslim people (or just ethnic minorities in general) are imprisoned in detention camps Nd being raped and killed. If the Hope was that the 2020’s would have no genocide, we’ve already failed. The phrase “Never Again” means retracting our judgements based off of beliefs and skin color and understanding that everyone is different, you can believe what you want, just because another opinion exists doesn’t mean you have to believe it so why bother changing it if it doesn’t affect you. People need to learn to be informed on both sides before they make an opinion. Racism, sexism, homophobia, transphobia, any form of discrimination must cease if we are going to finally have peace in our world. There are so many problems in our society and everyone is just debating them instead of coming up with a solution (reverse racism, stereotypes, assuming gender, etc)— social media does a really good job at putting these debate where everyone can see. People have lost respect for different issue because they make everything political. The biggest, most important thing that needs to happen to have peace in our world is to learn respect, and just general kindness. No human has the right to make a judgement because we are all different.
1
To me, “never again” is a phrase that holds immense meaning. It almost seems silly that human beings need a verbal expression to solidify the fact that, never again, will they abuse, torture, slaughter, ruthlessly pillage, and destroy the lives of other humans. But, nonetheless, never again is a reminder of our past mistakes; while we can’t change our mistakes, and at times it may seem impossible that these mistakes even occurred in the first place, it is important that we learn from them and grow. With that being said, I think the fact that genocide has occurred in multiple countries around the world after such a devastating event as the Holocaust, points out a flaw in humanity. Why can’t we learn that harming other living beings on the planet it wrong and evil? What isn’t clicking in our society that is causing us to continue to behave this way? These are the questions we need to continue to ask and answer if we ever want to achieve peace within our planet.
The super powers of the world work together in several different groups like UN, and EU. The goals of these groups are to keep peace in the world. After World War 1 and 2, it was unanimously determined that war will be the very last option in a disagreement, if even considered an option. War is inevitable in situation like North Korea and soon to be Russia, but de escalation is critical so that the aftermath is not as terrible, and there is no genocide. “Never again” is a terrible misstatement, but efforts to reduce is more accurate.
The Holocaust was a major historical genocide, but it definitely wasn't the most recent one our world has experienced. To me, the truth of the matter is that “never again” is an extremely unrealistic and naive statement for us to make. History has a way of repeating itself, events that we swear are never to happen again, most likely will occur, whether we can help it or not. School does the best job at educating us on the Holocaust, compared to social media and news platforms that have mostly moved on from that era. Books written from or about the Holocaust and movies to get a better portrayal of what the Holocaust really was, definitely are not going away anytime soon. So I do believe that as much as we would like to say “Never again”, we cannot guarantee that something of the magnitude the Holocaust was will never happen again, but keeping the memory and knowledge of the Holocaust alive is a good way of ensure that the inevitable repetition is prolonged.
I think social media does help spreading the word out and helps people know what’s going on in the world but the case is that many read the feed and scroll down. Only a few actually do something but the reason they did was all because of social media. It also depends on how the problem is being shown on social media because it can be bias but overall the world knows by social media
Since the holocaust, there have been genocides. Senseless mass killings for the simple reason of prejudice. One specific example of this said recent genocide occurs in western Sudan during the darfurian genocide where more than 400,000 innocent men women and children have lost their lives for no reason other than their racial background. we haven’t secured the promise of never again, and I’m not sure we ever will completely, but all that we can do is strive towards that mentality and do as best we can to uphold the promise of our predecessors in our own lives and teach others the ways of kindness and acceptance towards all.
As the world moves into the 2020s, we can all agree that what happened with the Holocaust was horrible and wrong, but we are moving in a positive direction. The time after a tragedy, we learn, and we correct ourselves for the future. I have full confidence that we as a society will never allow something like that to ever happen again. Yet it’s inevitable that hate groups still exist, still intending on hurting a group of people. But the state we as a world are in now, know better, and will be better at stopping it before it happens. It’s evident from today’s modern system that we have learned from pitfalls in history. We know not to give all the power to one person, we know how much of a catalyst of war building up an army is, and we know how destructive inflation can be. Yet we must remain focused on keeping immoral events, groups, and actions from becoming significant in the first place. We must plan on keeping things stable for our children, and for their children; and we are.
How could we think that we are moving farther away from systematic genocides, like what happened in Auschwitz, when that is exactly what has been happening in China to the Uighur Muslim Population. It’s appalling to think that this is happening in a world where we preach peace and love, but even more appealing know how little media coverage there is on the issue. We have a long way to go before we can say “Never Again”.
Although we said, “never again”, genocides such as in Rwanda have still happened, and we can look at the detention of Uighur Muslims in China, who have been forced into internment camps, or even the humanitarian crisis in Yemen. Nobody should ever experience it, but this is why we are taught history-it repeats itself. If we never look back and reflect on the past, we cannot identify red flags and key events that led to tragedy and devastation. Despite what is currently going on in the world, the younger generation is probably the most aware of social injustice, who will become our future leaders to create peace and humanity.
Just about anyone would readily agree that the tragedies of the Holocaust should never be experienced again by any demographic. Due to this notion, I believe that we as a society are moving in a positive direction. While unfortunately there are certain isolated instances of hate still prevalent within society today, the greater majority of the population knows better, and that is ultimately what gives me hope. I don’t think that we should look to the behavior of the adults, however, to indicate the direction that we are headed; we need to look to our children. The good thing is, are children don’t care if their friend has a different culture, race, or ethnicity, they judge them solely on their character. They don’t see the world divided by ethnic boundaries, they see everyone as equals, and that is the direction that we’re headed in.
Media in a way both helps and hurts the promise of never again. Media can bring attention to a problem through a video, photo, or article and spread the word quickly and gain immediate and strong reactions from the public which helps issues be brought to light and allow actions to take place to stop or prevent the problem. On the other side it can also connect people who otherwise would not interact which allows for groups to form more rapidly and more widespread making them harder to monitor or prevent action. I feel that if society wants to keep the promise of never again people everywhere, especially those who have power, need to pay attention and be aware of what happens around them without taking things at face value and speaking up if they see or hear something. Looking for something or someone to blame is the last thing people need to be doing, helping each other, remembering the past, and working together as a society to recognize where society went wrong in the past and do all we can to prevent following in their footsteps, is what we should be doing to try to keep the promise of never again.
Although most people recognize how incredibly wrong and horrific the Holocaust was, it is hard to say wether or not the world is progressing towards securing the famous promise, “never again”. On a more local scale, it would appear as though we are moving towards a more equal society. While I cannot say it doesn’t exist, blatant racism is no longer acceptable. This includes discriminatory views on any race, ethnicity, or religion. The issue of gender identity and sexual orientation, however, draws quite a bit of controversy. No matter how far we progress, our society will always entail close minded people. The article mentions that social media keeps us closer, which would, in theory, make it harder for any act of mass discrimination to occur, as it will be fully visible to the world. While this makes sense, it unfortunately is not true. The religion based concentration camps in China right now prove this point. The public knows what is happening, yet the camps still exist.
Historically, both the League of Nations and the United Nations have produced several treaties with the intention of permanently ending war. The First World War came to be known at the time as the war to end all wars. Unfortunately, that would not be true as we all know. Then after the Second World War, as highlighted in the article, several more mass genocides and conflicts re-emerged. I believe there is no recent evidence that proves we are in a better post war period then we have been in historically.
I feel the world is no where near saying “never again” and actually meaning it. First world leaders make empty promises to make it appear as if incidents like the holocaust would never happen again, but they still target out certain groups to place blame on for what’s wrong with the world. By singling them out, that makes the rest of the world fear them, and that’s exactly how genocides start. Until leaders can stop discriminating against individual groups of people we’ll never be close to the meaning the words “never again”.
1