It’s frightening isn’t it…that children can somehow be held accountable for actions that were not only out of their control, but out of their time! What happens when those children who are trapped in a corner by taunts and unjust accusation don’t have a guiding figure to tell them ‘hey, this isn’t you…don’t be afraid by your heritage, learn to accept, overcome and learn about the negative and positive’ what happens then? More hate is born and the very accusation starts to become a reality, they tire of apologising for something they cannot change, they tire of being ashamed of where they come from, they tire of being victimised and then new hate is born. In England, anti-German remarks are almost commonplace, I have heard them my whole life (though…not meaning to make this thread light hearted, sometimes I wonder if its to do with the war or football!!) - but recently I have noticed a change in the tide, maybe because when you visit Germany you are met by some of the most hospitable, friendly and open minded people you will ever likely meet. Maybe because Germany is starting to be a ‘power’ state and is bringing us things that we really want. Maybe its because they produce the best beer in the world * smile * Jimmy, an ex-partner of mine, who some of you may ‘remember’ was a soldier, who like thousands of British troops was stationed in Germany, so I spent time there and one thing that I noticed was that generations of German people were almost ashamed to be proud to be German, they have spent their lives apologising from something that happened before they were born. I am not denying or playing down the atrocities of the Holocaust - that’s not the point of my post, and those that know me will know that and know that why I am not Jewish, I come from a heritage that was probably the second biggest victims of the Holocaust. What I am saying is, that for everyone of us, no matter what heritage we come from, we have great shame in out roots, we ’in the past’ have committed great crimes against humanity - if you don’t believe me, google your heritage and tell me if anyone comes up as being worthy of living in that glass house. Being German, does not make you a Nazi…as on a lesser scale being a Gypsy doesn’t make me a uneducated dirty thief or being Jewish doesn’t mean you supported the slave trade. What makes me angry, is that in a world where information is so readily available, people still pass down to their children ignorance. Your son is being bullied, and just as I would not tolerate any child/charge of mine being called names for the colour of their skin or heritage, I think that this attitude should not be accepted…I hope that his teacher has done something about this.
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