Guest post by Paul Lorber
In the 1930s under Adolf Hitler Nazi Germany introduced oppressive policies against their Jewish Nationals. Jews could not own businesses, work for public bodies, could not go to restaurants, theatres and parks, their children could not attend public schools or universities, their property was stolen. Normal life was impossible.
Many countries around Germany, including Slovakia introduced similar policies.
In the meantime countries around the world started closing their borders as politicians claimed that their countries were being swamped by aliens with foreign culture and should not allow any more to enter.
In 1938 my aunt who was Slovak and her husband who was German managed to escape to Argentina. When my parents tried to get permission to leave for Argentina that country also closed its border to escaping Jews.
The ‘words and actions’ of the pre 2nd World War years had a devastating impact as millions of innocent people ended up in Nazi concentration camps.
Both my parents suffered this fate - they were lucky to survive.
The world has not learned from our recent history of the 1930s and the war that followed. There are still oppressive regimes and people are still trying to escape devastating wars where the aggressor targets civilians.
“Words and Actions do matter”. The language (and actions) of politicians need to be challenged and this is why I Stand with Gary Lineker.
I would not want the horrors experienced by my parents to have to be experienced by others. You can read my mother’s story HERE.
2 comments:
I agree with Paul.
As a country, and a Borough, which has welcomed refugees and asylum seekers from around the world, we should not be supporting a Government policy (promoted by a Prime Minister and a Home Secretary, both of whose parents were welcomed to start a new life in Britain) which excludes those in desperate need of a new life from most of the planet.
They speak of 'illegal immigrants', but the only "legal" ones in their view are those accepted under special schemes from Ukraine, Afghanistan and Hong Kong. There are many other countries in the world where people have genuine reasons to leave for their own and their family's safety.
There are many other countries where through drought over population or political instability people find it impossible to live a reasonable life. Yes, you can label them as "economic migrants, but we might well do the same if we were in their position.
Britain takes far fewer of these migrants/ refugees than some other countries, and most are people ready to work, and contribute to our communities, if only we would give them the chance.
And yes, there are some criminal elements involved, but by opening safe ways to apply to settle here, we could do far more to stop the criminal gangs,and "stop the boats" ( to use th Government's latest slogan).
Some of the language used, by the Home Secretary and her supporters, is wrong. Gary Lineker was right to criticise the policy, and some of the language used to promote it.
Comparison with Germany in the 1930s might appear to be " over the top", but as Paul has pointed out, once such twisted language becomes accepted, the actions which can grow from those words may lead to appalling consequences.
Looks like Suella Braverman's and Rishi Sunak's parents swarmed in and swamped Britain.................
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