Here in America most of us think of the Great Depression as being something that impacted our country alone. Not so. The depression did originate in the United States after the stock market crashed in 1929, but it spread throughout the world, causing drops in personal income, tax revenue, and international trade. Unemployment went sky high. Construction came to a grinding halt in many places. Sound familiar?
In Germany, unemployment soared as American loans meant to help rebuild the country after World War I dried up. As people became more and more afraid, their political system got increasingly extreme. The German people were looking for someone to blame, and the Jews, who were so culturally different from them, became good scapegoats. “They” were not like “Us”.
Cartoons like these, demonizing the Jews, became quite common. We all know what happened from there, and most people, if they have any sense at all, are horrified and ashamed at the deterioration of humanity that resulted in the holocaust.
That could never happen again, right? Well, I came across this cartoon today.
In the present day, it’s not the Jews we are targeting with our fear. It’s the Islamics. Even people that I care about very much are saying things like “All of them are evil.” “They all want to destroy us.” And every day you see more and more news about Islamic atrocities, as if in our culture sexual abuse, kidnapping, murder, bombers, and hatred don’t exist. As if we all agree with our government 100 percent of the time, and can therefore be tarred by the same brush. As if “they” are animals that are incapable of love, humanity, integrity, intelligence and goodness like “us.”
When I hear this kind of ignorance spewing forth, I want to shake people and say “Look what you are doing! Again! Can’t you see?” When you start convincing yourself that a certain group of people is less than human, it leads to worldwide destruction. We will all lose.
We’re sliding down a slippery slope, people. I want to at least be able to say that at some point, I had the decency to say, “Stop.” But my voice doesn’t carry very far. If you stand with me, it will carry farther. Don’t let the hatred and fear that is being spoon fed to all of us override your common sense. For the sake of humanity.
The View from a Drawbridge 
I love the term ‘slippery slope’…
oh, and you are the smartest bridge attendant I know…
A) There’s a reason for that. and B) How smart am I, really, if I’m working a low paying, dead end job that a trained monkey could do?
Simmer down… and a really smart monkey maybe.
I stand with you. Some of those I love dearly, are begining to sound like the zelots that they hate. Just change the “country, race, or religion”, I feel fear and terror of things to come like everyone else, but I will not let it taint this life I have, My Mother, 93 has always taught me, “There is always room for more at the table, no matter how litte you have you can still share”. My father, deceased, always taught me to “Look at the Big Picture”. I used to watch the Newsreels at the movies during the “Cold War” in wonder and wonder why they could not see that all those people running around in fear were just like you and me. If you get a chance, watch the movie “Matinee”. When you are 8-10 you carry those times with you the rest of your life. Like “Tommy”, All the talk about air raid shelters. Bomb drills at school, etc all made an impression on impressionable children. BUT, one good thing… I never pay attention to the use by date on bottles or cans or hermetically sealed pkgs. They are still finding edible chocolate from WW1.
Carole, have you ever considered writing a blog yourself? You have so many interesting things to say, I would be one of your followers, for sure. Do like I do and task yourself with one blog entry a day, and before you know it, you’ll feel yourself expanding creatively like you never have before. It’s a wonderful exercise and a great deal of fun! I hadn’t thought about it, because by the time I came along those bomb drills at school were a thing of the past, but yes, that must have been a terrifying daily reinforcement for young children. And even worse, a senseless waste of time! All it could accomplish was psychological damage. How awful…
Ho! Thanks for the compliment. I have often thought of doing something like that as I used to have a column about the net, before anyone except the Military and the Grateful Dead knew what the www was. A print off of all the sites made a stack less than a 1/2 inch thick. But, the mind has a little short circuit now and then. What seems so important one minute vaporizes to reappear at the oddest time. But your musings have awakened the love of words again, And I am so happy to have those few brief moments in my day.
Thank You
Wow, that’s probably one of the top ten compliments I’ve received in my life. Thank you!