I personally don't have a horrible family past (at least one that i know about) and so i don't really have experience with this topic. However, i think that if you grew up your whole life knowing how awful your ancestors had been, you would have some coping mechanism that would let you put the past behind you. When these Germans had done research on their family and suddenly discovered that their grandfather was an awful Nazi , i think this is the main problem. They haven't had time to adjust to that. It's like suddenly finding out that your adopted. It's not your fault or anything, it just happened that way and would be way less of a problem if you were told when you were little. That said, i understand how it would be very difficult for parents to tell their kids that their grandfather had been a brutal torturer.
When you start to research your family history one day in the library or on the Internet for a school project or some other sort of activity, and you happen to find out that you are related to Al Capone, I think you would be pretty upset that your parents did not tell you sooner. It would make your parents seem more secretive and less trustworthy with valuable information. So to get to the point, when this man found out he was related to a Nazi commander and mass murderer, I am pretty sure he would have been just as shocked as the next guy. I personally dislike surprises and suspense so I would like it if my parents told me everything about my family history that they know of, of course. For some people, finding out a terrible past secret about themselves could lead to serious issues in the future, but that would be only a few people. Like I said in class, you would want to know about your past so you would not make the same mistakes again. If your great grandfather was a slave-owner, you would make sure that you would not be racist against African-Americans. To conclude, knowing about your family history is not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be good to know for the future and for informative purposes.
I think that it is always important for families to be open with each other about the family history and not try to cover anything up, however good or bad it may be. While it might seriously disturb someone to learn that their grandfather or other family member tortured and murdered innocent people in the Holocaust, it would be far better to grow up knowing than suddenly finding out. And maybe even learn from the family's past mistakes, to prevent anything like the Holocaust ever happening again.
However, what with the risks of being beaten or looked down upon by the public, I do think that any information of the sort should be kept within the family if it threatens someone's safety. While children should never be blamed for their parents' mistakes, not everyone has the ability to control their actions over such an emotional topic as the Holocaust and Third Reich. Just a thought. Witness Protection Program, perhaps?
I don't personally have a personal family, so I don't relate to this topic that much. If my grandpa was lets say a mass murderer i would want my parents to tell me, not just keep it to themselves and let me find out eventually. I don't think people should blame other people for what their ancestors have done in the past. I can understand if they kill someone in your family, but that doesn't mean you have to put full blame on them.
Even though you should be aware of mistakes made by ancestors, you shouldn't feel guilty about them. It's not your fault that your ancestors made bad choices that resulted in something negative. The past is in the past, and it should not be carried into the present by people who had no involvement in it, except for family members. You shouldn't be blamed for mistakes that you didn't commit. It's not right for someone to be judged for something that was done by their ancestors.
I believe that a person should not be held accountable for what their grandparents did. That being said, there is a very simple counterargument that kind of makes sense.
When a person does something bad, it is kind of the parent's fault. That is unarguable. The worst thing a person can have in life are bad parents. Parents teach their kids right and wrong, what is bad and what is good. However, to an extent, kids take that image from their parents and show it back to them.
You can ask any of your parents; you changed them as a person. Perhaps not as much as they molded you, but you changed them. They will say what you did in a positive light, but there are always plenty of negative things that they don't talk about. They steadily give their parents their opinions and the parents take great pride in these.
A child can steadily turn another's heart evil. Think about the biblical Exodus. The Queen turned the Pharaoh quickly and totally against an entire people. Would it be so hard for a young mind to find out something at school and relay what Hitler said to his father. Slowly but surely, that father is going to agree with Hitler.
It isn't the child's fault, but he or she can still be at fault.
I feel that if my grandpa was hitler i would do everything i could to undo the wrongs he did becuase wheather or not i should have to bear his wrongs dosent matter people will assume because i am hos decendant i am evil
I do not think that these people should be burdened with it, or have to suffer or have to go through anything different than normal people. They are in no way responsible for the family that they were born into. I'm sure if I was Jewish and my grandfather had been killed in the holocaust, I would not be too happy with someone who is related to the person that killed my grandfather. In real life, if I were thrust into this situation, it would be hard to forgive that person. But on paper, those people should not have to be segregated or treated differntly from other people. I do think that they would need to be extra aware of being kind to people who are Jewish or have Jewish decendants, or any of those people whose family members were afected by the actions of their family member. Make an extra effort to be nice to them and show them you are a completely different person from your awful family member.
Imagine you're doing a project on World War 2 and you come across someone with your own last name. Then you find out that your great-grandfather was a Nazi war criminal. It gives you a lot to think about, but it doesn't directly affect you. The Holocaust was probably the worst mistake humans ever made, but it happened and all we can do is learn from it. What's done is done and there's really no way we can change it. It's hard to forgive people for doing such awful things, but their children and grandchildren have nothing to do with it. Just because someone has the same blood as a murderer doesn't mean that they can't make their own choices. "You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be." -Albus Dumbledore
Julian Barlow Most of our Nation's problems are caused by ignorance. And although it may be bliss, It's not going to help anyone. How can we learn from our mistakes and ensure that something similar won't happen if we have absolutely no idea what happened? So yes, Every person should be educated about the past of their family, because otherwise the world is a continuous loop- never reaching an end point or becoming self aware. On the other hand, I also think that a person should not be judged by the criminal acts of his/her ancestors. A person is his/her own person, and they aren't necessarily affected by the misdeeds of those before them. A person is usually initially judged as a good or bad person before their past is revealed, so why should what their forefathers did affect your outlook on them? I like Elizabeth's quote.
Julian barlow By the way, I come from a family of pirates. You know Captain Hawkins? He sailed with Sir Francis Drake, and was actually his cousin. I'm related to that guy. However, I don't really consider them to be bad people. Because everyone loves pirates.
I don't think that they should have to hold the weight of the horrible things that their family had done in the past, on their shoulders. They weren't there, they weren't able to control what went on, so why should they feel guilty that they are unfortunately related to the people who caused such harm to others? If they are able to feel the guilt of what happened that long ago, not even involving them, then people should realize that they know that it was wrong, and would never commit those crimes. They can't be responsible for things they hadn't committed and know the consequences and feel bad. The children and grandchildren of Nazis aren't Nazis; they are only pictured that way by people who believe they are exactly like their grandparents/parents. People can't be judged just by who their relatives are. These people aren't their grandparents so they should not be treated like they are.
I dont think families should keep secrets from their children. Parents should always be open with your children about the past and other things that have to do with family secrets.
Finding out that one of your past relatives was a mass murderer doesn't mean that you should feel ashamed or guilty about it. There is nothing you can do, there is nothing that has to be done or can be done about it. What you have to do now is learn from it and accept it. Just because your that murderers relative doesn't mean that their evil ways have been passed down through the generations. Every person is different. No one is the same. So why should you be held accountable for actions that you didn't even commit? Oh, and lets not forget that the Nazis thought what they were doing was right. They didn't understand that what they were doing was wrong until afterwards. The point is that you should not be held responsible for the actions of others. Even if you are related to them. It doesn't make a difference. You are two separate people with your own personalities, your own opinions, your own feelings, and your own conscious.
I do not think people should dwell on the dark past of someones family. It's no fair to the person, and really if someone tried to beat me up for something my great grandpa did, I'd say I never knew the man, so why do you think you can touch me?! I don't think people have the right to be like "Oh Shnap you're Hitler's son Imah come for you". It's just not fair at all, you may never have known your related to him, or you may be nothing like him, ITS NOT YOU FAULT. People can't blame you for having a stupid family. It happens! Families shouldn't keep secrets but more importantly, people shouldn't beat the bejeeezus outta you for your families secrets.
I don't believe children should have to hold the weight of their families past. The children never did anything! I understand why they would be upset with their family and themselves when they find out. That's why parent should tell their children about secrets when they are of a young age, for they longer a secret is kept, the more shocking it is when you find it out. What would be worse? Finding out your great grandfather was a Nazi when you are 8, or finding it out when you are 25, and about to marry a Jewish woman? I say the second one, that's just a really bad situation right there. People should know that just because someone in your family tree was a really bad person, doesn't mean you are too! So what if your bodies are alike, that just because of DNA. DNA doesn't have feelings! Just because you look alike doesn't mean you think and act alike. You should forgive yourself for being related to horrible people, and know that just because there in your family tree, doesn't mean you have to hate yourself. Hate is bad, and only causes more suffering.
This Yahoo article was really intriguing as it described these people who were able to trace back to their relatives that lived in the Nazi Era. I feel that Hoess could not have done anything to prevent himself from being beaten because he cannot change his family that he born into. The last sentence made my heart skip a beat when the Polish Nazi-Camp survior told Hoess that he looks exactly like his grandfather. The problem with life is that you can never change what ever occured in the past. One must continue moving on and suffering consequences for faults that you may have not done.
Overall, I find it a difficult and personal issue whether the weight of a family's awful past should passed down to future generations. I do believe that it may be necessary for a child to understand his/her background despite the certain awful events that may have occured. I believe that it is possibly that people do indeed learn from their mistakes and that may be one lesson learned from discovering information about your family's past. However, I do think that for certain people, it may be quite a traumatic experience - discovering that your great uncle or grandfather was a mass murderer or that he committed horrible crimes. It may be difficult for certain people to cope with the reality that they are blood-related to these cruel, monster-like people.
I really do feel though that it is not fair and right for a child to carry the burden of knowing that their family has a dark past. They do not have any control over which family they are born into. It was never the child's fault, only the grandparents/or great uncles fault due to the fact that it was their personal choice to dabble in crimes. It indeed is a child's right to find out about their past, however, it should not be shared with someone who is unstable or takes the facts in the wrong sense. In general, I find that a family's history does indeed play a role in the family's future generations.
so i guess i should start by commenting on hard it is to not be mad.but weve got to control ourselves and see that these kids are inisent and that they should strive to make improvements in the lifes of others to further repare the damage
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I personally don't have a horrible family past (at least one that i know about) and so i don't really have experience with this topic. However, i think that if you grew up your whole life knowing how awful your ancestors had been, you would have some coping mechanism that would let you put the past behind you. When these Germans had done research on their family and suddenly discovered that their grandfather was an awful Nazi , i think this is the main problem. They haven't had time to adjust to that. It's like suddenly finding out that your adopted. It's not your fault or anything, it just happened that way and would be way less of a problem if you were told when you were little. That said, i understand how it would be very difficult for parents to tell their kids that their grandfather had been a brutal torturer.
ReplyDeleteWhen you start to research your family history one day in the library or on the Internet for a school project or some other sort of activity, and you happen to find out that you are related to Al Capone, I think you would be pretty upset that your parents did not tell you sooner. It would make your parents seem more secretive and less trustworthy with valuable information. So to get to the point, when this man found out he was related to a Nazi commander and mass murderer, I am pretty sure he would have been just as shocked as the next guy. I personally dislike surprises and suspense so I would like it if my parents told me everything about my family history that they know of, of course. For some people, finding out a terrible past secret about themselves could lead to serious issues in the future, but that would be only a few people. Like I said in class, you would want to know about your past so you would not make the same mistakes again. If your great grandfather was a slave-owner, you would make sure that you would not be racist against African-Americans. To conclude, knowing about your family history is not necessarily a bad thing, but it would be good to know for the future and for informative purposes.
ReplyDeleteI think that it is always important for families to be open with each other about the family history and not try to cover anything up, however good or bad it may be. While it might seriously disturb someone to learn that their grandfather or other family member tortured and murdered innocent people in the Holocaust, it would be far better to grow up knowing than suddenly finding out. And maybe even learn from the family's past mistakes, to prevent anything like the Holocaust ever happening again.
ReplyDeleteHowever, what with the risks of being beaten or looked down upon by the public, I do think that any information of the sort should be kept within the family if it threatens someone's safety. While children should never be blamed for their parents' mistakes, not everyone has the ability to control their actions over such an emotional topic as the Holocaust and Third Reich. Just a thought. Witness Protection Program, perhaps?
I don't personally have a personal family, so I don't relate to this topic that much. If my grandpa was lets say a mass murderer i would want my parents to tell me, not just keep it to themselves and let me find out eventually. I don't think people should blame other people for what their ancestors have done in the past. I can understand if they kill someone in your family, but that doesn't mean you have to put full blame on them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteEven though you should be aware of mistakes made by ancestors, you shouldn't feel guilty about them. It's not your fault that your ancestors made bad choices that resulted in something negative. The past is in the past, and it should not be carried into the present by people who had no involvement in it, except for family members. You shouldn't be blamed for mistakes that you didn't commit. It's not right for someone to be judged for something that was done by their ancestors.
ReplyDeleteI believe that a person should not be held accountable for what their grandparents did. That being said, there is a very simple counterargument that kind of makes sense.
ReplyDeleteWhen a person does something bad, it is kind of the parent's fault. That is unarguable. The worst thing a person can have in life are bad parents. Parents teach their kids right and wrong, what is bad and what is good. However, to an extent, kids take that image from their parents and show it back to them.
You can ask any of your parents; you changed them as a person. Perhaps not as much as they molded you, but you changed them. They will say what you did in a positive light, but there are always plenty of negative things that they don't talk about. They steadily give their parents their opinions and the parents take great pride in these.
A child can steadily turn another's heart evil. Think about the biblical Exodus. The Queen turned the Pharaoh quickly and totally against an entire people. Would it be so hard for a young mind to find out something at school and relay what Hitler said to his father. Slowly but surely, that father is going to agree with Hitler.
It isn't the child's fault, but he or she can still be at fault.
I feel that if my grandpa was hitler i would do everything i could to undo the wrongs he did becuase wheather or not i should have to bear his wrongs dosent matter people will assume because i am hos decendant i am evil
ReplyDeleteI do not think that these people should be burdened with it, or have to suffer or have to go through anything different than normal people. They are in no way responsible for the family that they were born into. I'm sure if I was Jewish and my grandfather had been killed in the holocaust, I would not be too happy with someone who is related to the person that killed my grandfather. In real life, if I were thrust into this situation, it would be hard to forgive that person. But on paper, those people should not have to be segregated or treated differntly from other people. I do think that they would need to be extra aware of being kind to people who are Jewish or have Jewish decendants, or any of those people whose family members were afected by the actions of their family member. Make an extra effort to be nice to them and show them you are a completely different person from your awful family member.
ReplyDeleteImagine you're doing a project on World War 2 and you come across someone with your own last name. Then you find out that your great-grandfather was a Nazi war criminal. It gives you a lot to think about, but it doesn't directly affect you. The Holocaust was probably the worst mistake humans ever made, but it happened and all we can do is learn from it. What's done is done and there's really no way we can change it.
ReplyDeleteIt's hard to forgive people for doing such awful things, but their children and grandchildren have nothing to do with it. Just because someone has the same blood as a murderer doesn't mean that they can't make their own choices.
"You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born, but what they grow to be."
-Albus Dumbledore
Julian Barlow
ReplyDeleteMost of our Nation's problems are caused by ignorance. And although it may be bliss, It's not going to help anyone. How can we learn from our mistakes and ensure that something similar won't happen if we have absolutely no idea what happened? So yes, Every person should be educated about the past of their family, because otherwise the world is a continuous loop- never reaching an end point or becoming self aware.
On the other hand, I also think that a person should not be judged by the criminal acts of his/her ancestors. A person is his/her own person, and they aren't necessarily affected by the misdeeds of those before them. A person is usually initially judged as a good or bad person before their past is revealed, so why should what their forefathers did affect your outlook on them?
I like Elizabeth's quote.
Julian barlow
ReplyDeleteBy the way, I come from a family of pirates. You know Captain Hawkins? He sailed with Sir Francis Drake, and was actually his cousin. I'm related to that guy. However, I don't really consider them to be bad people. Because everyone loves pirates.
I don't think that they should have to hold the weight of the horrible things that their family had done in the past, on their shoulders. They weren't there, they weren't able to control what went on, so why should they feel guilty that they are unfortunately related to the people who caused such harm to others? If they are able to feel the guilt of what happened that long ago, not even involving them, then people should realize that they know that it was wrong, and would never commit those crimes. They can't be responsible for things they hadn't committed and know the consequences and feel bad. The children and grandchildren of Nazis aren't Nazis; they are only pictured that way by people who believe they are exactly like their grandparents/parents. People can't be judged just by who their relatives are. These people aren't their grandparents so they should not be treated like they are.
ReplyDeleteI dont think families should keep secrets from their children. Parents should always be open with your children about the past and other things that have to do with family secrets.
ReplyDeleteFinding out that one of your past relatives was a mass murderer doesn't mean that you should feel ashamed or guilty about it. There is nothing you can do, there is nothing that has to be done or can be done about it. What you have to do now is learn from it and accept it. Just because your that murderers relative doesn't mean that their evil ways have been passed down through the generations. Every person is different. No one is the same. So why should you be held accountable for actions that you didn't even commit? Oh, and lets not forget that the Nazis thought what they were doing was right. They didn't understand that what they were doing was wrong until afterwards. The point is that you should not be held responsible for the actions of others. Even if you are related to them. It doesn't make a difference. You are two separate people with your own personalities, your own opinions, your own feelings, and your own conscious.
I do not think people should dwell on the dark past of someones family. It's no fair to the person, and really if someone tried to beat me up for something my great grandpa did, I'd say I never knew the man, so why do you think you can touch me?! I don't think people have the right to be like "Oh Shnap you're Hitler's son Imah come for you". It's just not fair at all, you may never have known your related to him, or you may be nothing like him, ITS NOT YOU FAULT. People can't blame you for having a stupid family. It happens! Families shouldn't keep secrets but more importantly, people shouldn't beat the bejeeezus outta you for your families secrets.
ReplyDeleteI don't believe children should have to hold the weight of their families past. The children never did anything! I understand why they would be upset with their family and themselves when they find out. That's why parent should tell their children about secrets when they are of a young age, for they longer a secret is kept, the more shocking it is when you find it out. What would be worse? Finding out your great grandfather was a Nazi when you are 8, or finding it out when you are 25, and about to marry a Jewish woman? I say the second one, that's just a really bad situation right there. People should know that just because someone in your family tree was a really bad person, doesn't mean you are too! So what if your bodies are alike, that just because of DNA. DNA doesn't have feelings! Just because you look alike doesn't mean you think and act alike. You should forgive yourself for being related to horrible people, and know that just because there in your family tree, doesn't mean you have to hate yourself. Hate is bad, and only causes more suffering.
ReplyDeleteOh and Josh, your going to undo the wrongs of Hitler?
ReplyDeleteThis Yahoo article was really intriguing as it described these people who were able to trace back to their relatives that lived in the Nazi Era. I feel that Hoess could not have done anything to prevent himself from being beaten because he cannot change his family that he born into. The last sentence made my heart skip a beat when the Polish Nazi-Camp survior told Hoess that he looks exactly like his grandfather. The problem with life is that you can never change what ever occured in the past. One must continue moving on and suffering consequences for faults that you may have not done.
ReplyDeleteOverall, I find it a difficult and personal issue whether the weight of a family's awful past should passed down to future generations. I do believe that it may be necessary for a child to understand his/her background despite the certain awful events that may have occured. I believe that it is possibly that people do indeed learn from their mistakes and that may be one lesson learned from discovering information about your family's past. However, I do think that for certain people, it may be quite a traumatic experience - discovering that your great uncle or grandfather was a mass murderer or that he committed horrible crimes. It may be difficult for certain people to cope with the reality that they are blood-related to these cruel, monster-like people.
I really do feel though that it is not fair and right for a child to carry the burden of knowing that their family has a dark past. They do not have any control over which family they are born into. It was never the child's fault, only the grandparents/or great uncles fault due to the fact that it was their personal choice to dabble in crimes. It indeed is a child's right to find out about their past, however, it should not be shared with someone who is unstable or takes the facts in the wrong sense.
In general, I find that a family's history does indeed play a role in the family's future generations.
so i guess i should start by commenting on hard it is to not be mad.but weve got to control ourselves and see that these kids are inisent and that they should strive to make improvements in the lifes of others to further repare the damage
ReplyDelete