Today, though I hate to commemorate such a thing here, is Adolf Hitler's birthday. Once a major festival for the Nazis, the Fuehrerstag was basically Good Friday, Easter, Christmas and Fourth of July all wrapped up into one. A day (a week, really) to worship the leader and re-dedicate themselves to the National Socialist madness. Volksdeutsch came from all over the Reich to Berlin to celebrate the birth of their savior.
Thankfully, those days are gone, and Berlin no longer is streamed with the red and black of the hacked and butchered cross of the Nazis. Yet, even decades after the fall of the Party and Hitler's ultimate betrayal of his people, his birthday is rising again -- this time in a disillusioned and impoverished Russia.
Russia, once a powerful force in stopping Hitler, has now fallen into the clutches of a surge in neo-fascist violence. Apparently forgetting what their nation suffered at the hands of the Nazis, young Russians have been flocking to National Socialism, and this week is now marked by hate crimes and vandalism, almost as a matter of course, as gangs of so-called "hooligans" take their anger to the streets, seemingly without official limitations.
And what have Russian authorities done to keep citizens safe during this week of angst? They have officially requested that all foreigners and minorities (including Russia's beleaguered and dwindling Jewish population, as well as exchange students and Russian-born Roma) just stay indoors for the weekend. Just stock-pile groceries, don't leave your homes, and wait it out. Some campuses have even gone so far as to lock students in their rooms to prevent them from being harmed should they dare leave the safety of their designated doors and windows.
What the hell is wrong with that picture?
So, go out today. All of us who are lucky enough not to be in Russia, go outside. Glory in being whatever and whoever you are, and get some air. But do think about those poor souls who won't be so lucky for the next few days.
And know that such a thing ultimately imprisons us all.
7 comments:
Yikes! Could that happen in the States?
I suppose no where is safe. Though I would hate to be one of those shitty Russian neo-Nazi kids in Harlem...
I am not proud to be a human being today.
Sometimes it is harder than others.
I think this speaks to the economics situation within Russia. One of the reasons that the Nazis got so many votes in Germany was due to the deplorable economic situation in the 20s in Germany.
If we give the people in Russia jobs and hope, we take away the ability for this hateful movement to grow.
Yes, very true. We saw the same thing in the former East Germany. This is what happens when you replace a system with an over-priced McDonald's and a feeling of failure, with no money coming in.
However, that does NOT excuse the behaviour of Russian authorities, who actually need to protect innocent citizens, rather than just treating THEM like THEY are the problem and forcing them to hide.
One would think they don't care that hate crimes are becoming a favourite hobby in their nation.
Agreed Holly. We don't need another Krystalnact.
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