Holocaust Museum

17 Oct 09—So to begin with, let me say that I just noticed today that I have been spelling the word “Capitol” wrong all week…and if any of you noticed and didn’t tell me, shame on you! Haha

Today is the third straight today of continuous rain, and we are sick of it. It is really the only thing I don’t like about RVing. If it was just us, I wouldn’t mind so much, but with the dogs it is hell. In and out going to the bathroom, wiping their dirty, wet little feet…ugh!!!

We actually drove to downtown DC today. We figured on the weekend the traffic wouldn’t be too bad, and we guessed right. We went to the Holocaust Museum, and were able to park less than a block from the front door.

The Holocaust Museum is a four story exhibition that you basically start on the 4th floor and work your way down to the basement. I was surprised that there were so many people there today, considering that we are not in the tourist season and the weather is miserable. But I guess everyone here had the same thoughts I did, which was to go and see something inside, because at one point there really were too many people there. Everyone is basically following a series of corridors, all in the same direction, and when we first got off the elevators there were so many people I couldn’t read or see anything on my right or left…I ended up in the middle of the aisle watching the backs of other tourists. Fortunately the ranks thinned out as we went along.

We couldn’t take pictures in there, but basically you’re viewing and reading about the rise of the Third Reich, the use of propaganda to further the aims of Hitler and his minions, and of course some about the concentration camps and the killing of millions of people. I was a little surprised that so much time and space was used to talk about the Nazi’s rise and use of propaganda…I would say maybe 60% of the exhibits were about that. I was also surprised that a lot space was used to talk not only of the Jews being victims, but others too, especially a lot of mentioning about the Gypsies. It seemed to me that the whole exhibit was really intended to make people think not only about what happened in the distant past, but what has happened in the more immediate past, or even present/future, like the atrocities in Darfur and other places.

Overall I was glad I went, but I must admit that I was much more emotionally affected when I was stationed in Germany from 1982-1984 and went to see stuff there. I guess being there at the scene of the crime, and being a lot younger and less informed, what I saw and read there really hit me a lot harder. And I don’t care how old you are, when you go to a place like Dachau Concentration Camp and walk thru the gates that say “Arbeit Macht Frei”, (for the non-German speaking, that is Work makes you free), and see actual ovens that people were burnt in…that really affects you.

We ended being at the Holocaust Museum about 4 ½ hours and still only read and saw maybe 70% of what they had there. I would strongly recommend that all young people go see it, and also anyone who watches Fox News or listens to Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck…hahahaha!