Le Mysterieux Nazi Major

Happy Leapday everyone! Make this day awesome since it only happens every 4 years! Today, everyone in class got a reading based on true readings involving the Holocaust, more about the people. I got the reading about Julian Schmahling - a typical major of Nazis, yet apparently also a savior of his enemies - the two timing major savior. As the reading went on, we found the main reason he decided to become le major: When a little boy had interrupted his class, Schmahling reacted in anger - calling him something along the lines of 'you little jack...', silencing the child for the rest of the year. As he had cruelly crushed the boy, he realized he didn't want to be cruel anymore, not to crush anyone anymore. This Nazi Major crushed the wanting of cruely, the day he crushed that little boy into silence. Now, relating this to how the Nazis, who had too changed something in the people they ruled - in both these situations, freedom of speech was taken away. The Nazis give consequences to whom who speaks against them while Schmahling had immediately stopped the little boy's speech, just by interrupting. When freedom of speech is taken, so is confidence, happiness as well - and suddenly, people with no free speech are filled with fear from the ones who had stolen their free speech, once happy ones have turned miserable with the consequences of the Nazis rule, as well as one little interruption ruining a whole year into silence. Well, that's my smaller post on Julian Schmahling, Le Mysterieux Nazi Major. I saw 'le major' in the reading and I couldn't help it - had to do it. ^^ Anyways, everyone, HAVE AN AWESOME LEAPDAY! :)

GI Level: The Black Messiah

Hey everyone, today has been a tiring yet weird day - let's hope I can write this post in my right mind. The title is already strange enough, with just a touch of internet humor (not getting into that.) In class, each of us (the students) had to choose one out of three poems created by Sonia Shreiber Weitz (a Holocaust survivor), of course, involving the holocaust - all from her point of view. One being about Sonia's mother, the other being about Sonia and her father dancing together, one last time, the third poem was about her savior, whom had rescued her from a camp.

Though the other two were touching, the one that caught me most was the third poem, 'The Black Messiah.'As I slowly tore apart the poem to look for the meanings behind its words, I found a bunch: First, was the surprise registering in Sonia, to see a black man (has never seen a black person), to know the black GI was going to free her and than to begin to see the horror written on his face. Horror, shock and terror painted his face as he looked at his surroundings, an extermination/concentration camp. The holocaust. Yet underlying, underneath all that horror, was pain: to know that something like the holocaust was possible and to feel the pain for all the lives taken. Though Sonia and this black messiah, who had come to save her and other survivors, had only maybe met for a day, never had kept in contact - a special bond was shared. The bond that only happened, since the two of them, both Sonia Weitz and the black GI messiah, remain to live a good life without ceasing to forget the holocaust. As you can see from my annotations, what pulled me into this poem was the drastic mood change: from curiosity, a dim hope to a form of somewhat success and happiness. Another fact was how well the feelings in this poem were portrayed as well (the GI's facial expression) as how this poem is never completely full of happiness, but instead hope. Though it might not always be bright, there's always hope.

Now that I think about it, there is a personal connection I could make to this poem, specifically the part about a special bond. About a few years ago, I had been dealing with problems at school and at home - my brain was going in to overload. It was annoying, aggravating and some part of me was scared about a few issues - making it one of the low points of my life. After everything had cleared up, I knew quite a number of people older than me that would be all dramatic, Gothic and go commit suicide (yet never did.) I always felt that they were too weak, even though the things that happened were bad - I vowed to myself to keep moving. Keep living life, laughing, having fun - LIVING. And a part of living is to not run away from things, as things happen and I never let myself forget anything bad that happens, while never keeping a tight hold of it.

Overall, 'The Black Messiah' leaves me with a lump of mixed feelings. To feel pity for Sonia as she had been caught in the holocaust too young to even see a black person, to not be able to be out exploring the world and being free. The curiosity that came upon me as I read the next few lines of being able to understand without words. The knowing of the feeling of horror, such deep horror that you can't speak, and you just become vulnerable. Yet the worst, is knowing the pain under that horror. The last feeling the poem brought me was some type of comfort, as even though Sonia and the GI didn't actually know each other, they shared a bond over being able to still live good lives, just like I had (and still am.) Alright, everyone - that's it :P I know, that was pretty long and I'm kind of wondering how it is this long. Oh, well - things happen. Rest in Peace, Sonia Weitz! :) I know, I'm 2 years late for her death. Also, welcome to the world, young cousin!

Hitler Taking Germany

Hitler's rise to Germany had seemed like luck, chance and his wit in choices and honestly, his rise might have all been just luck and opportunity. There are plenty of events that happened, contributing to the rise of Hitler in Germany, though I can only explain the top two most contributing events. Hitler had began his own party, the Nazis, which had just stayed one out of many parties that were waiting to be voted for. They had not received many votes or much attention. After going to jail and writing 'Mein Kampf' he was back on the streets but this time, he was more known via his book. Not long after, markets begin to crash, creating a worldwide depression. A main contributing event this was, as Hitler and the Nazis were able to get louder, to capture more attention by claiming that they could save Germany from the market crash, as well as the economy crisis. This had definitely been a wise move for Hitler, as many more people were getting to notice the Nazis and a lot more votes were starting to roll in for the Nazis. Soon, the Nazis had received 33% of the vote and from this, Hitler became a chancellor. Though he had not taken over Germany yet, he was close. The greatest contributing event to Hitler is next, the Reichstag Fire. In this one fire, the building was destroyed and Hitler blamed it on the communists, and as chancellor - many believed him. Since President Hindenburg had already passed, Hitler became president as he was now a trusted man who had his goals set for the good for the country. Or so they thought. Otherwise, that is my explanation of Hitler's rise and the top two most contributing events in my view.

Nuremberg Laws of Nazi Germany

Back in the times of Nazi Germany, you didn't have to be Jew to be defined as a Jew. All you needed was 3 or 4 grandparents born Jew or are Jew, to be defined as one. Though you may be a Christian German, your grandparents were Jewish converted to Christian - you still count as a Jew. Though the definition of a Jew was quite strange, it was used anyways and many who didn't believe in Judaism at all were defined as being Jew anyways, due to their grandparents.

Aryanizing the Jewish business was basically one of the Nazi's ways of making Jews suffer their lifestyle and slowly degrade themselves in the eyes of non-Jews. They began to lose their jobs as Nazis began to set new rules involving jobs, specially for Jews. The ownership over Jewish businesses were sold off to non-Jewish Germans at fixed prices (made by the Nazis) and Jewish workers/managers started to be dismissed from their jobs. Though this is just for common workers, the professionals were still allowed to work, just with restrictions. Jewish lawyers could no longer practice law and Jewish doctors couldn't have any non-Jew patients. Basically, everything got tougher for all the Jews involving their jobs.

Everyone in Germany is required to have an ID card and carry it with them, with Jews it's the same except for one thing: their ID has to specifically say that the person is Jewish. On every Jew's ID card is a red J stamped on and new middle names for those who don't have first names that tell that their Jewish, for boys it was 'Israel' and girls, it was 'Sara.' This made it easier for people to identify if the person is Jewish or not.

"The Law for the Protection of the Hereditary Health of the German People" is basically the requirement for all to-be-weds to have a certificate of fitness to be able to marry. These certificates can be given to anyone but those who are suffering of contagious disease or hereditary illness, as well as any marriage in violation of the Nuremberg laws.

My PE blog is up, but empty yet I'm sure I'll be updating it soon, as it is near to the end of Trimester 2. Thanks for reading :)
Oh, and...
HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! :D

Targeted: The Communist Party

Hello to anybody reading this! :)
This is my first blog of 2012, I know it's already February so I'm deciding to hit harder this year and make this a successful year of blogs. Though, I'm not here to talk about that but rather to discuss about the holocaust, Hitler and the fall Germany had taken economically - as well as anything related.

Civil rights - what are they? Examples of civil rights are: freedom of speech, the right to vote and equality in public places. These are only a few out of other civil rights. Now if you were to define every civil right, and take the latter: civil rights are basically an enforceable right or privilege - an insurance of a person's integrity and safety.

The reason of my speaking of civil rights - this is one thing that Hitler was able to take from the people of Germany, he had started with the communist party. What the Nazis had promised was not to be living under a crashed economy, for each German to have a stable income and for Germans to be top priority in their own country. Honestly, the Nazi supporters could not have really cared for who had been arrested and why - just what the outcome would be for them, to be living with a stable income and without such high taxes. For many, whatever measures Hitler took were overlooked or positive to anyone who just wanted what would come out of the Nazis.

Alright, so that's the end of my short discussion on civil rights and Hitler's rise in Germany. I know it's late but I wish everyone a

HAPPY 2012! IT'S A NEW YEAR, DON'T WASTE IT! :D

I'll be back soon and will be opening a new blog, PE related.