Remember

Today, remember the victims.

Inevitably, you will think of the perpetrators, the leaders who plotted and organised the murder of millions of children, women, and men for the crime of being born with a name and a race chosen for hatred and death. You do not recall the names of the millions of victims. You recall the names of the monsters who led the charge to kill them.

Remember also the hundreds of thousands that were between the victims and the leading perpetrators.

Remember the neighbours who said nothing when soldiers came for the victims to put them on trains East. Remember the station masters and the train drivers. Remember the teachers who singled out the pupils in their class and reported them for deportation. Remember the shopkeepers who stepped in the close shop of their deported colleague or competitor.

Remember that given a chance we would all be Hitler’s willing executioners.