October 10th, 1944

Auschwitz, Germany

The Jewish people weren't the only ones to suffer in Germany's death camps.  On this day in history, approximately 800 Gypsy children were put to death at Aushwitz, partly as "punishment" for an earlier uprising by those held captive.

So, why were the Gypsies held captive in the first place?  Well, in the words of Hitler, they were considered "carriers of disease" and "unreliable elements who cannot be put to useful work."  Yes, a pitiful statement from a pitiful man.

Sadly, it seems such feelings didn't change even after the war.  In 1950, while gypsies (along with other groups of people) tried to gain compensation for the sufferings of their people, the German government denied them the request.  But the mere denial isn't the reason why I bring this up; it's what the 1950 Government said that's noteworthy:  "Gypsies have been persecuted under the Nazis not for any racial reason but because of an asocial and criminal record."

What can be learned from this?  Very little.  All you can do is lower your head, thank God that we haven't endure 1/1,000,000 as much as some, and consider what we can do to protect the innocent.

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