Today is Holocaust Remembrance Day. We light memorial candles for the more than six million murdered victims of Nazi Germany, the Jews, homosexuals, Roma(called also gypsies) physically or mentally disabled Germans and any others whom the Nazi regime felt were "against" them. Yesterday I attended a memorial service in their memory, my grandfather's and my uncles' and aunts' and cousins' memory included.
There was more the German people could have done to stop the genocide; there was more the world's leaders could have done to save lives by increasing immigration or by bombing the train tracks which lead to Auschwitz.
Yesterday, I read the review of the latest biography of President Roosevelt, FDR and the Jews by Richard Breitman and Alan Lichtman. He didn't do as much as he could have. Neither have modern presidents done well with genocides all over the world.
It is proving very difficult to get people to cooperate who have different views of the world whether these views are religious, political, territorial, ethnic or social, whether these issues are being discussed at our Congress, at the United Nations or around current events groups.
My focus lately has been on caregivers for people who have life-limiting dementias, my husband of course included. Having the benefit of a bit of respite these past weeks has helped me see how isolated my life was when my day was consumed with worry about my spouse. When any of us are so consumed by life within our homes, whether by economic pressures or illness, we have no strength to concern ourselves with the larger world, of our neighborhoods, schools, towns, state or country. We let ourselves become complacent, permitting the elected officials to act in what we hoep is our behalf, representing our views and concerns ojn the higher, broader level.
But what when they don't? When their own or corporate monetary gain is placed before safety and compassion? Let's awaken and fight for monetary allocation to fight Alzheimer's disease and not to add financial burdens to seniors by reducing Social Security. Caregivers' daily lives depend on that money. Let's gather strength from each other and not lose sight of the larger picture.
There was more the German people could have done to stop the genocide; there was more the world's leaders could have done to save lives by increasing immigration or by bombing the train tracks which lead to Auschwitz.
Yesterday, I read the review of the latest biography of President Roosevelt, FDR and the Jews by Richard Breitman and Alan Lichtman. He didn't do as much as he could have. Neither have modern presidents done well with genocides all over the world.
It is proving very difficult to get people to cooperate who have different views of the world whether these views are religious, political, territorial, ethnic or social, whether these issues are being discussed at our Congress, at the United Nations or around current events groups.
My focus lately has been on caregivers for people who have life-limiting dementias, my husband of course included. Having the benefit of a bit of respite these past weeks has helped me see how isolated my life was when my day was consumed with worry about my spouse. When any of us are so consumed by life within our homes, whether by economic pressures or illness, we have no strength to concern ourselves with the larger world, of our neighborhoods, schools, towns, state or country. We let ourselves become complacent, permitting the elected officials to act in what we hoep is our behalf, representing our views and concerns ojn the higher, broader level.
But what when they don't? When their own or corporate monetary gain is placed before safety and compassion? Let's awaken and fight for monetary allocation to fight Alzheimer's disease and not to add financial burdens to seniors by reducing Social Security. Caregivers' daily lives depend on that money. Let's gather strength from each other and not lose sight of the larger picture.
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