The Holocaust

The Holocaust initially started in 1933 when the Nazi German party came to power. It was the systematic, bureaucratic, state-sponsored persecution of roughly 6 million Jews by the Nazis. "Holocaust" comes from Greek origin, meaning "Sacrifice by Fire." 


Several events took place between 1933 and 1945. Some important events include:

• January 30, 1933: Adolf Hitler is appointed Chancellor of Germany.
• March 22, 1933:  Nazis open Dachau concentration camp near Munich, to be followed by Buchenwald near Weimar in central Germany, Sachsenhausen near Berlin in northern Germany, and Ravensbrück for women.
• July 14, 1933:   Nazi Party is declared the only legal party in Germany.
• August 2, 1934:  German President von Hindenburg dies. Hitler becomes Führer.
• September 15, 1935:   Nuremberg Race Laws against Jews decreed.
• November 9 & 10, 1938:  Kristallnacht - The Night of Broken Glass.
• October 1939:  Nazis begin euthanasia on sick and disabled in Germany.
• November 23, 1939: Yellow Stars ordered to be worn by Jews 10 years of age and older
• November 1940:  Hungary, Romania, and Slovakia become Nazi Allies.
• November 15, 1940:  The Warsaw Ghetto, containing over 400,000 Jews, is sealed off.
• December 11, 1941:   Hitler declares war on the United States. President Roosevelt then asks Congress for a declaration of war on Germany saying, "Never before has there been a greater challenge to life, liberty and civilization." The U.S.A. then enters the war in Europe and will concentrate nearly 90 percent of its military resources to defeat Hitler.
• February 2, 1943:   Germans surrender to Russian troops at Stalingrad in the first big defeat of Hitler's armies.
• April 30, 1945: Hitler commits suicide 
• April 30, 1945:   Germans surrender to Russian troops at Stalingrad in the first big defeat of Hitler's armies.

For a full and detailed timeline: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/holocaust/timeline.html#1945

             The Holocaust was during a time period of Anti-Semitism.The word Anti-Semitism means prejudice against or hatred of Jews. Jews were deported, or forced to leave their hometowns, and placed into concentration camps. The term concentration camp refers to a camp in which people are detained or confined, usually under harsh conditions and without regard to legal norms of arrest and imprisonment that are acceptable in a constitutional democracy. In Nazi Germany between 1933 and 1945, concentration camps were an integral feature of the regime. Concentration camps are different from ghettos though. Ghettos isolated Jewish communities by separating them both from the non-Jewish population and from other Jewish communities without harsh conditions. The Germans established at least 1,000 ghettos in German-occupied and annexed Poland and the Soviet Union alone.

           One of the first events involved in the Holocaust that began this massive genocide*** was Kristallnacht. Kristallnacht, literally, "Night of Crystal," is often referred to as the "Night of Broken Glass." The name refers to the wave of violent anti-Jewish pogroms which took place on November 9 and 10, 1938, throughout Germany, annexed Austria, and in areas of the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia recently occupied by German troops. Kristallnacht owes its name to the shards of shattered glass that lined German streets in the wake of the pogrom—broken glass from the windows of synagogues, homes, and Jewish-owned businesses plundered and destroyed during the violence.In its aftermath, German officials announced that Kristallnacht had erupted as a spontaneous outburst of public sentiment in response to the assassination of Ernst vom Rath, a German embassy official stationed in Paris. 

***Genocide is a term created during the Holocaust and declared an international crime. It is defined as any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

1. Killing members of the group
2. Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group
3. Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part
4. Imposing measures intended to prevent births within a group
5. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. 

For plenty of information on the Holocaust, visit http://www.ushmm.org/

As it is quite evident, the Holocaust violated and went against Catholic teaching, especially the 10 Commandments. In my opinion, the three most important Commandments broken were "Thou Shall Not Kill," "Thou Shall Not Steal" and "I am the LORD your God: you shall not have strange gods before me."

• Thou Shall Not Kill- This one is quite obvious. The Nazi killings of the Jews' mind, body and spirit definitely goes against God's teachings. 
• Thou Shall Not Steal- Those involved in the Nazi party not only stole the personal belongings of the Jews, but their lives as well. 
• I am the LORD your God; you shall not have strange gods before me- Devoting their lives and time to Hitler, the Nazis easily put the destruction of Jews above God. 

The Fifth Commandment is more than You Think.

The Fifth Commandment, which states "Thou Shall Not Kill," has more than one meaning. You probably think of murder or violence when you hear "kill" right? That's what I did, until I took a deeper look into the meaning of this very important Commandment. It goes above and beyond the common interpretation. 3 examples of actions that fall under the "Thou Shall Not Kill" Commandment include abortion, substance abuse and human cloning. All 3 of these topics will surely have you thinking about the true meaning of the Fifth Commandment.

Abortion is one of the most important and serious sins against the Fifth Commandment. As stated on http://www.catholic.com/tracts/abortion  “The Catholic Church has always condemned  abortion as a grave evil. Christian writers from the first-century author of the Didache to Pope John Paul II in his encyclical Evangelium Vitae (“The Gospel of Life”) have maintained that the Bible forbids abortion, just as it forbids murder.” Abortion can easily be seen as a form of murder, as it is a grave sin. The only problem is that it is a sin not recognized by many due to the popularity and commonness of it. Being a teenager, I can relate to abortions as it is found a top choice to turn to in teen pregnancies. Not saying I have or ever will have an abortion, but seeing girls around my age going through with killing their unborn baby is just heartbreaking. According to my Catholic Morality textbook, "The unborn child developing in his or her mother's womb is the most innocent and defenseless of all human persons. It is at the very moment of conception that a new human person, made in the image and likeness of God, comes into existence." How could you not agree with that? God has a plan for every one of us, we are his creations. Taking that away due to some circumstances just doesn't seem like it could every be okay. Right?

Anti-Abortion ads like this one are quite common.

The Fifth Commandment strongly urges prudence and moderation regarding the intake of alcoholic beverages and other substances. The results from substance abuse, such as intoxication and inebriation violates human dignity. It might not seem like it should be consider "killing," but it is. Slowing and surely, you are killing your body physically, as well as you and your close loved ones emotionally and mentally. I have had personal experiences with family members and substance abuse, and it hurts to think that somebody would want to do that to themselves, even if they didn't mean to. There's a fine line between substance use and substance abuse.Learn it before its too late. 

All human cloning is gravely sinful and contrary to the moral law because it opposes the dignity of both the conjugal union between husband and wife and human procreation. It is believe that life deserves the highest respect and dignity from conception to natural death. If one clones, they are replacing God's natural ceration with science.It reduces human beings to objects that can be manufactured and manipulated according to what is wanted rather than unique and irreplaceable creations of God, each possessing his or her own integrity and identity. Human cloning is just another way of doubting God's ability to create something, no someone special and unique in his own image and likeness. When it is put like that, doesn't it sound wrong? Cause it is. Leave it up to God. He knows what he's doing, he's been doing it for a while now. 

Human life is supposed to be something special
created by God, not by science.

The Country goes "HoodsUp" for Trayvon Martin.

Everyone is aware of the tragic murder of the innocent, unarmed Florida teenager Trayvon Martin. Everyone is also aware of the way the local and country-wide community has responded to this chaotic act of injustice and possible racism. George Zimmerman, the man who murdered Trayvon, has not been arrested yet, due to his claim of "self-defense." People are extremely unhappy and disappointed. And I am too. 

Rallies, protests, vigils and "hoods up" movements 
have occurred all across the country, and they will continue until justice is served.


http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/0326/Trayvon-Martin-hoodie-and-Skittles-rallies-spread-across-nation 


Even the NBA and the "Miami Heat" have been involved in showing their support for Trayvon and his family. These star athletes are sporting hoodies and sneakers, paying tribute to the late 17 year old.

In this post, pictures are worth a thousand words.....

Dwayne Wade pays tribute via sneakers.

The Miami Heat went "Hoods Up" for warm ups. 

People of all sorts are coming together. 

Trayvon Martin and the snacks he Never got to eat.

How would you spend your last hour or so of life? Would you so something insane, like bungee-jumping or cliff-diving? How about something relaxing, like sitting on the beach or laying in the grass? How about spending it with your closest loved ones? Here's another idea: Think about walking home from a convenient store with a bag of Skittles and a can of Iced Tea. That is how 17 year old Trayvon Martin spent that last hour.. And he didn't have a choice.

Imagine him with a 'hoodie' on. Would he look suspicious to you? 

Trayvon Martin was in Florida visiting his dad and his fiance in late February in the gated community they live in. He thought he would take a walk down to local convenient store for an Iced Tea and some Skittles. On the walk back home, it started to rain. As he was on the phone with his girlfriend back home, Trayvon put his hood up to avoid getting wet. As he did, he noticed he was being followed. Not to his knowledge, it was the gated community's "Neighborhood Watch" supervisor, George Zimmerman. 

George Zimmerman believed Trayvon looked suspicious. I mean, come on. A 17 year old boy with a bag of candy in his pocket? Trayvon is said to have weighed 140 pounds. What in the world can be suspicious about that? It just mind boggles me. Anyways, after noticing he was being followed by Zimmerman, Trayvon began to walk faster, as well as inform  his girlfriend, who was still on the phone, as to what was happening. She told him to run. He said no. 

Zimmerman called the police, claiming there was "There's a real suspicious guy. This guy looks like he's up t no good, on drugs or something. It's raining and he's just walking around looking about...These @$$holes always get away." (taken from the Orlando Sentinel). Who knew that walking outside in the rain was suspicious? I didn't...

George Zimmerman.

Going against the police's orders, Zimmerman continued to follow Trayvon and eventually got out of his car. There is believed to be an argument between the two before there were alleged gunshots. Actually, just one gun shot. Coming from a gun held in George Zimmerman's hands, straight to the 17 year old boy's chest. 
Proof:
http://www.thegrio.com/specials/trayvon-martin/trayvon-martins-final-phone-call-he-said-this-man-was-watching-him.php#46796308

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/03/19/148905661/killing-of-fla-teen-trayvon-martin-becomes-national-story-about-race



How can Zimmerman state self defense when he was the one to approach Trayvon? Zimmerman continues to use the "Stand your Ground" law, which states one can use violence if you feel threatened. You can meet force with force, if you truly believe its necessary. So Zimmerman claims this 17 year old boy, who was unarmed,  is a threat? He was minding his own business on his way home from a convenient store!


This story is just heart-breaking. 

The 'R' Rated Word

People say it all the time, usually without thinking. They use it for name calling to express humor, anger, disappointment, or even jealousy. Retard. Individuals don't think of the true meaning of the word when they express it. People forget that there are actually people that are physically or mentally retarded. They can't help that they are like that, and they have all the reasons to be offended when someone mocks someone else by comparing them to who those who are handicapped. Would you like someone to make fun of another by using a characteristic you have, or even your name? 

~"OMG you're such a (insert your name here!) I can't stand you!" <-- sounds rude right? 

She's right you know? She's a human being. Just like you. and me. And the person sitting next to you. Everyone deserves respect. How would you like it if people judged you on something you have or who you are? Brown or blue eyes, blonde or brown hair, tall or short, skinny or large. It's stereotyping. Calling someone the R word is categorizing them into someone they're not. Sure there's people that have special needs and such, but that doesn't make them a R. It makes them unique. Something that should be appreciated, not mocked. 

Here's a little challenge for you: Count how many times you use the R word in like a week. After the week is over, remember that number and think of different words to use. For every different word you think of (that is not derogatory!), apologize to those who you have hurt by calling them a R.

Prize: You're a better person. :) 

checkkk itttt outttttt! --------> http://www.r-word.org/ 

My Teacher Won't Let Me Swear on the Internet...

Almost everyone does it. No one really cares about it, unless it's about them. We see and hear it constantly, as it has become a big part of society's culture. If you haven't guessed it already, I'm talking about swearing on the internet. The anonymity that the web enables us to have allows us that freedom to believe its okay to swear on the internet. But in reality, isn't swearing on the internet the same as swearing in person? I mean you still say it right? It doesn't matter if its typed out or verbally spoken, its been said. Imagine all the swearing and profanity, if any, that you've put out on the internet. Would you say it to someone's face? 

When you see someone swearing on the internet, how do you feel? Embarrassed? Angry? Disappointed? How does your view of the person doing the swearing change? In my opinion, it shows the person's true character and displays the amount of dignity and self respect they have. Is being vulgar on the internet a true broadcast of self-confidence and esteem? Does swearing make one feel like a rebel or a rule breaker? That's something to think about....

There really is no need for profanity and cursing online. There's no necessity for it. Swear and curse words don't benefit the point of the sentence or topic being talked about. Even if symbols like these are used: #*^%@!#$!!....what's the point of it? Oh wait...there isn't one. I have been on both ends of the swearing on the internet. Although I only used a swear word as a joke and my friend knew it, the other people that saw it did not. They were quite disappointed and didn't understand where I was coming from. I was the same way when I was cursed out. Why was it necessary to call out someone like that? Its degrading yourself and the way others see you.

 

If you wouldn't say it to someone in person, don't type it to someone online. 

Making the World a Better Place- 10 Resolutions at a Time.

Resolutions are made as challenges that aren't supposed to be easy to accomplish. They take time. And if the world made its own resolutions, there would be a lot of time needed to make improvements in everyday life in and around the world today. Personally for me, these would be the top 10 Resolutions for the World (in no specific order):

1. Avoid Stereotypes ~ Everyone has their own opinion on everything other than their own, and sometimes those opinions on topics, such as society, people, beliefs and lifestyles don't come from their own decisions. People often go after stereotypes and what other people think. Wouldn't there be less problems if people didn't go off what everyone else thought and they actually had their own opinion, and continued to believe in it? Everyone knows the saying "Don't Judge a Book by its Cover." Well, don't judge the world by its inhabitants. Judge it on your own. 
2. Be Respectful ~ This is simple. No one is the same in this world. Just have respect for people that are different than you. I know this is a long shot but people need to understand that being disrespectful might not seem dangerous, but it is a real threat to humanity's flow and togetherness. 
3. Honesty is the BEST Policy ~ Stories are told and promises are made and opportunities are given. Society is often caught lying and breaking promises, both big and small. Just learn that big promises are hard to keep. Start off small, then maybe work your way up by earning trust and respect. 
4. Its OK to Disagree ~ One must understand that not everyone thinks the same way. People are entitled to their own opinions, and that is perfectly okay. Whats not okay is trying to force someone to agree with you. There's a respectful way that one can work out a disagreement or argument. Don't think you need to turn to physical force or something serious or dangerous to resolve it. 
5. There is a Difference between Church and State ~ The Church is a powerful part of society, and it can be quite beneficial. Don't frown on the Church and different religions. Everyone is entitled to their own religion and beliefs and they do not need to be punished or treated differently because of that. 
6. Support is Never Negative ~ Support is always needed, and there can never be too much support. Yes, I know its hard to support someone or something you're not a fan of, but it never hurts.
7. Have More Faith in the World Leaders ~ I'd like to see you in their position. Cut them some slack, they got a lot on their plate. And faith and support in and for them always helps. 
8. Rethink Your List of Important things in Life ~ Sorry to say, but there's more important things than sports, money and food. 
9. Don't take any Experience for Granted ~ Pretty self-explanatory....
10. Don't Worry about what Others Think....Sometimes ~ Its okay to be different. Just make sure people are okay with that. 

Its really hard to think of 10 things that the World can work on, isn't it?