Lassman Writing Contest: ‘Spread Love’
It’s time to remember the darkness that lurked, the killings of many, all because
The ideas of one made everyone run so they would be hidden from the sun.
Six million Wives, Husbands
Six million Brothers, Sisters
Six million Grandmas, Grandpas
Six million Neighbors, Coworkers
Six million Jews
Six million People
Burned in fires.
Nazis didn’t question if Hitler was a liar.
They shot people dead. No empathy in their head.
Packed into a train only feeling pain.
Children who would never smile having to walk miles.
42,000 camps and ghettos, bodies lined row on row.
2,000 years ago, this hate all started. People started to feel cold hearted
To a certain group they thought were out of the loop.
The group were the Jews and antisemitism was born.
Hitler used this old hate as bait
To get people to blame, people to shame, for their economic depression.
Propaganda was spread that the Jews were heads of the bank, had a high rank.
Not many assisted cause it usually led to those being dead
Soon all it took was just a look at a Jew, then hatred began to spew
And they were set on a tramp to a concentration camp.
They took you if you were Jew, but there were others too.
11 million people died in all. This is a number so big we can barely imagine.
Things you couldn’t even control got you stuck in this hole.
If you had a disability, it would be considered a liability
If you were a Jehovah Witness, the Nazis saw you as less.
Just because you had some different beliefs like not participating in the military.
They couldn’t see that you were human.
400,000 Roma killed to make a master race.
They never gave up on the chase. Could anyone ever find a safe place?
Hitler couldn’t have anyone in the way.
So he sent the Gestapo to kill an opponent and another and another.
But the list does not end here. Many more started to fear.
His followers were growing and so was his list of people who needed to go.
If your skin wasn’t white you’d be taken to the fright of the camps.
Women who had kids were shot right away.
If they were bearing a child they weren’t treated mild.
They were injected and inspected,
Raped and sexually assaulted.
If you were a man and homosexual, you’d have to wear a pink triangle.
Compared to any other ‘small victim group’ there was a 60% higher death rate.
The Nazis showed so much hate.
They would do experiments to try and “fix them.” It was absolute mayhem.
After the war relationships were still sore.
Even when the war was done they were still on the run.
During the Holocaust many were misled not thinking they were equal, but superior instead,
We judge people on more than their soul, we forget the goal was for EVERYONE to be equal
The thirst for power drove the hour.
We turn away, don’t listen to what survivors have to say.
The idea for a master race seems like it will never be attempted again
But look around and tell me what you see happening today.
It was a long time ago but the hate is still here now.
Even though many of us vow to never allow it to happen again.
But people are getting killed for no reason they have a different color of skin
And for some reason sorted to a worthless bin.
Breonna Taylor and Trayvon Martin. People killed because they looked suspicious
Can’t we see this is unjust?
If we continue to stay silent, are we living up to the time we are lent?
Women rights are worth the fight. So if you see people being sexist, don’t take flight.
Women are not objects.
People need to accept that women can direct and be leaders.
1 in 5 women experience rape. Not being able to escape
From someone holding control. If you stay silent you are playing a role.
81% of people get sexually assaulted. When will people see this is faulted?
In many places there is a 2nd pandemic But it doesn’t have to do with anyone being sick.
Anti-Asian hate crimes are spreading quick
In 2020 in New York City, there were 144.
But there are becoming even more. NYPD data shows a 125% rise in the despise
Of Asians and anti-Asian attacks.
People getting thrown off subways, stabbed, yelled at, spat on.
The part that makes it even worse is that people just stand and watch,
Too worried about their klatch.
If we just stand there, not giving a care, these numbers will seem small.
Innocent lives gone away, just because our image of equality has gone astray.
Florida has made a Don’t Say Gay bill.
Teachers can’t inform about sexual orientation or gender identity.
Even when people plea for this not to happen.
In 2021 Texas tried to introduce 20 more anti-LGBTQ+ bills than any other state.
At this rate one might pass . That will leave this community like broken glass.
We try not to see what is happening. We put a fog over the attacks on Synagogues.
At the Tree of Life Synagogue there was a shooting.
Robert Bowes, a white supremacist, made his own list.
He walked in and opened fire; 11 killed and wounded others.
The acts of antisemitism climbing higher and higher.
In 2020 ADL recorded, in the US 2,024 antisemitic attacks. That was the third highest year since ADL has begun tracking. Our love seems to be lacking.
When hate takes hold you have to be bold.
Learning about the Holocaust shows what hate can do, that it can happen to anyone too.
It can inspire people to help when things get dire.
Learning about the Holocaust can show when things in the world get low.
We need to reach out instead of shutting it out.
We need to learn about the Holocaust so the horrors are not lost.
So we can stay true to our words, “Never again.”
When hate is being spread we can’t always allow ourselves to be led.
People use the tactic of fear to hold others near.
To prevent another genocide, we can’t keep our voices low and hide.
We need to stand up and spread our love from inside.
Us.
We need to learn about the Holocaust so we can see that hate can destroy.
But also when things are dark, we can be like a lark,
Spreading songs of love and peace like a dove,
Keeping our world bright and our image of freedom in sight
Which will allow us to beat hate in this fight.
When I learned about the Holocaust it made me feel empowered
To stop hate before it becomes too late.
All those times I stayed quiet before will happen no more.
In the Holocaust it took one person to spread hate
This means that one person can spread love.
One.
Now I know not to stand by when others cry for help. Thinking that someone else will.
No, now I know I can be the person that assists even when I’m not being mistreated.
I will do my part to make sure history isn’t repeated.
I was afraid of what would happen if I did speak up
But now I’m afraid of what will happen if I don’t,
What would have happened if no one did.
Now it’s time to rid the world of hate and spread love.