Can you handle it?

I was doing some research on Auschwitz and I came across a quote that I think ties into our discussion quite well – Edward Bond said “Auschwitz was a place in which tragedy cannot occur.” I could not disagree more. I think that for the people in Auschwitz and the people behind Auschwitz it was a huge tragedy. The life altering experiences that each person who was either in the camp or saw the aftermath of the camp are surely indescribable. I don’t think we can begin to comprehend the total lack of care and concern that was felt for the people in the camps. I can’t help but wonder if I were in the camp would I have the desire and will to push on though each day like so many others did? In the time of the “now” society and the luxury that most Americans live in, I honestly can’t see many of us coming out of Auschwitz. Many people wonder about the lack of actions by the Germans, and why they didn’t do anything about the atrocities they knew were being committed, but what could they do?
If I try and imagine putting myself in the shoes of a prisoner in Auschwitz, the first thing that comes to mind is the humiliation. They were humiliated in so many ways, not only physically, but sociologically too. The humiliation of having your pride and identity taken away from you is tragic. But, if they were to focus on the tragedy being inflicted on themselves they would be even more quickly overcome by the almost inevitable death that was intended for them. I can’t even begin to put myself in those shoes. Being stripped of everything I know and love, and forced to work every day with inadequate clothing, food, and basic necessities. Somehow though, so many of these men and women were able to find the strength to get up and press on. Would you? Would you do something if you knew this was being done to someone who used to be your neighbor, your friend, or your family?
I know that a lot of people are perplexed as to why the German people sat idly by and watched Auschwitz and the other concentration camps happen. In reality though, what could they do? Write Hitler a letter? Being under a government like the Nazis doesn’t leave much room for disagreement. I would hate to be put in the shoes of the German people who had nothing against the Jews. Unless the German people could get an enormous group of people who were against the concentration camps, nothing could be done to stop it. Even if they were able to get a large body of supporters together, what would they do? I’ve tried to think of things that could be done, but what would keep the SS from sending them to the camps too? I think that Auschwitz was not only a tragedy for the people in it, but it was also tragic for the people of Germany as well. It is tragic that people probably lived with guilt their entire lives for turning in their neighbor for being Jewish when their only other option was death for themselves and their family. To me, Auschwitz and everything encompassing it was tragic.