I think that the greatest evil is done not by people getting out of bed and thinking "Heh. I think I'll be EEEEEEEVIL today!" but rather by those who think they are doing good.
I am sure most of them had consciences, but the rules of conscience are slippery.
If people are told "You are guarding a group of people condemned to death for their crimes against our country", most would not question that, and it is most likely the mentality of the guards. These were prisoners, criminals, the scum of the earth. Not-us. Why worry about what was happening to them?
You can see this even now. Ask anyone about prisoner "rights" and it's likely than not you're going to hear some kind of rant about "the criminals have more rights than the victims."
How about sex offenders? They have to wear a star to identify them to the community, right? (or a tracking anklet in this day and age). There are strict rules about where they can live and who they can associate with and where they can go.
"But sex offenders are the scum of the earth! They don't DESERVE any rights!"
Substitute the word "Jews" for "sex offenders" and it probably gives a pretty good picture of what those SS personnel thought of the people interned in the camps.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2007-09-19 10:36 pm (UTC)I am sure most of them had consciences, but the rules of conscience are slippery.
If people are told "You are guarding a group of people condemned to death for their crimes against our country", most would not question that, and it is most likely the mentality of the guards. These were prisoners, criminals, the scum of the earth. Not-us. Why worry about what was happening to them?
You can see this even now. Ask anyone about prisoner "rights" and it's likely than not you're going to hear some kind of rant about "the criminals have more rights than the victims."
How about sex offenders? They have to wear a star to identify them to the community, right? (or a tracking anklet in this day and age). There are strict rules about where they can live and who they can associate with and where they can go.
"But sex offenders are the scum of the earth! They don't DESERVE any rights!"
Substitute the word "Jews" for "sex offenders" and it probably gives a pretty good picture of what those SS personnel thought of the people interned in the camps.
Sobering to think about.