About 10 years ago I was sitting in a small kitchen in Birmingham, England visiting with a number of people, young and old. The previous day I had visited the War Museum in London. I was asked what I thought. I responded that I was really taken by how the museum made you feel as if you were really a part of the bombing of London and the Midlands during the Second World War, as well as experiencing the trenches of WWI. That in the modern day United States we were fortunate because we never experienced that, at least from foreign bodies (except Pearl Harbor -- and this was long before 9/11).
Two of the older women told me that they still had nightmares at least once a week of the bombing raids by the Nazi's when they were little girls in England. They described how terrified they were when the air raid sirens went off. The mental anguish of false alarms. The terrifying sound of bombs exploding nearby, not knowing if they were next to die or if they would be able to make it to a bomb shelter. Seeing friends one day and being told the next morning that they had perished in the previous night's bombing. There were nights when their family sat huddled together, arm in arm, praying as the bombs dropped all around them. This went on night after night after night.
So when Prince Harry wears a Nazi uniform to a costume party...well there are just no words to describe the stupidity of his actions. I was glad to see the former spokesperson for the Royal Family say that his actions were nothing less than stupid. And one can't blame it on his not knowing the history, he's had the best education money can buy, and I'm sure he's been to the War Museum, at least once.
And forget about the "blame it on youth" excuse. I don't buy that excuse. Never have. Especially when you're 20 years old. And a simple apology, through a written statement, isn't enough either. He needs to be put in touch with reality. And I'm not even talking about the Holocaust aspect of it. I'm simply talking about the mass destruction of property and life perpetrated by a crazy, insane man and his Nazi followers.
Prince Harry should be forced to conduct a lengthy (a few months anyway) Studs Terkel type of awakening, visiting people who lived through the horror. He should be made to sit in a building and have some bombs dropped around him so he can tremble from the deafening explosions and the fear of whether one might hit his building by mistake.
Then maybe, maybe, he'll know his history a little better.
Stupid. Stupid. Stupid.
2 comments:
Harry boy was stupid all right but when a symbol and a uniform that represents the death of millions of people becomes a party costume then it’s beyond stupid. It’s something else entirely. Can’t put my finger on it but it’s bad, real bad.
It's true -- he should know better. No one is amused by a Nazi costume, and many are hurt. And even though his ignorance of the matter is apparently total: when he left the palace to go to the party, didn't anyone see fit to mention this to the young prince?
As for having him visit Auschwitz... is that a punishment for him? To teach him a lesson? Will someone who could wear a Nazi uniform learn from such an experience?
At least he's not next in line for the throne.
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