Boy had his friend come over. It's the last time he will play with this boy outside of school. This little boy's father is very much into history, in particular, WWI and WWII. While I am into history, I don't know or care about every minute detail, I am interested in the why and what lessons can be learned. I want to know why we reacted in ways that we did. What are the warning signs that history may be repeating itself. While the small detail may be important (when the Japanese military needed to put on a good meal for show, they'd just cut the leg off a prisoner to have a good chunk of meat), I want to focus on other things. Sorry all you who get really excited about this stuff. I want to know why and how to prevent it in the future. If I can't prevent it I want to be prepared.
The father of this friend has chosen to be enamored with the wrong side in each each war. Now I'm not saying that I would support each war we've been in but not supporting our participation is a lot different than cheering for the other side! Their house is full of war antiques. Certainly none are things I'd have in my house, that's for sure. Like father, like son, Boy's friend is also enamored with the wrong side.
Boy and his friend were sitting at the kitchen table and friend was talking about war. He was throwing out all kinds of facts to boy, bouncing all over the map. He started talking about what a great guy Mussolini was. Then he went on to say how the Germans didn't declare war on England. England declared war on Germany. No explanation to Boy, just his facts. While this is a true statement, I made the comment to the friend that England did so because of Germany's aggression. Just like the US declared war on Japan - but not until Japan bombed us. Japan didn't declare war in a speech first. Just because a country declares war first does NOT make them the aggressor. The friend then said sure Mussolini broke the Treaty of Versailles but it was necessary.
Then the friend started talking about all of Germany's accomplishments during the war. What? Like telling people that there were jobs waiting in a nearby town, so get your families together and pack one suitcase. You all are going on a train ride to your new home. Never mind that they were either gassed on the way or wound up in concentration camps. Oh no, said the friend, he'd never heard of that. I figured the friend was going to tell me about the autobahn or guided missiles. No, Germany was able to make the country strong by getting rid of mental illness. The US should follow the accomplishments of Germany. If we did then Mrs. Bug-out renter would be cured. Friend...GO HOME!
The friend's mother came to pick up her son. I told her what happened, that I countered what he was saying and it upset him that I wasn't agreeing with his facts. She said that he is too young to learn about things like the Holocaust. But he's old enough to think Mussolini and Hitler were OK guys because the country made some accomplishments?
I need to explain to Boy why he won't be spending time playing with his friend. Unfortunately families like that get mixed in with families like mine in the eyes of the government and the media. All survivalists/preppers are not alike. Make sure that the people in your group are like minded! These folks are definitely not in my group.
At what age do you start to get more graphic about horrible details? The grand kids have been aware of the Holocaust for many years. They've been aware of 9/11 even though they can't yet grasp it. I thought United 93 was an excellent movie - difficult to watch but worth watching. I wonder at what age this movie would be appropriate for them to see. It would give them a different perspective of the "bad guys", especially when compared to the rantings of Boy's friend.
I get tired of survivalists being lumped in with evil. Although some survivalists are left leaning most are right but the far far right-winged neo-nazis do not belong in the same category as the right, just as Marxist/Socialist/Communist do not belong in the same category as moderate democrats. Your grandson's friends are no friends at all. You should try harder to keep those boys apart. It will come to no good.
ReplyDeleteWow. I've never had the misfortune to meet someone who thought the Axis were the good guys. It sounds like Boy's friend is from a family of white supremacists. I hope you can counter any of their crazy views.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I think for a small nation like England to stand up against the massive evil that was swallowing Europe at the time was the bravest thing imaginable.
I applaud your will to protect your grandson. My kiddo is now 13 and we've gone with the idea that if they're old enough to ask, then they're old enough to know - keeping in mind they're age for appropriate answers. My daughter first asked about Hitler around age 5. I gave her the answer that he was a bad man who led his country and killed a lot of people because they a were different. As she grows, so do the details. These days she's pretty well versed in the history of it a well as the impact today. Were I in your shoes, I'd probably use the friend and his familys' ideas as a means to explain how people who seemed okay allowed so many to be killed. And as an object lesson in critical thinking and the importance of being able to balance accepting those who are different while being wary of those who are harmful. I would also use this a an opportunity to reiterate the fact that sometimes making the right choices well mean you lose people who say they are your friends, but real friends walk the right path beside you. Best of luck and kudos for doing your best to raise the next generation!
ReplyDeleteThe CA 7th grade social studies text is full of religious and historical bias - worse than the other grades. I spent most of that year having to bring up facts to counter the fictions. Very annoying.
ReplyDeleteVery scary that there people teaching their kids that Germany became better by ridding its country of mental illness. I don't I'd let my kids hang around that.
ReplyDeleteA psychologist friend and I talked about this situation. His suggestion was that Boy still keep this kid as a friend but every time the friend brought up the subject for Boy to tell the friend since they don't think the same Boy doesn't want it to be a topic of discussion. Dr., you are an idiot. There is good. There is evil. Boy won't be going over to this kid's house to play anymore. If they are together at school I would expect that everything the other kid brought up the subject that Boy told him he is wrong, not that he wants to not talk about it.
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