Should we dismantle concentration camps, too?

Talking points for why death camps and Confederate sites are not comparable.

Social media trolls are at it again. Sadly, one of the latest examples involves posters linking the Holocaust and the Confederate South.

Several folks have posted this question: Germany did not dismantle concentration camps, so why should the United States take down Confederate statues, rename military bases named after Confederate leaders, or close slave plantations?

FIRST, STAY CALM

We urge you to take a deep breath before reacting. Our mission as Holocaust Survivors, descendants, and educators should be to inform others about the Shoah and the lessons we—and the world—have learned from this dark period of history. Maintaining our composure and responding in a thoughtful manner furthers this objective.

Why are these comparisons so disturbing? Consider these photos:

The top image depicts artist Fritz Koelle’s “Statue of The Unknown Prisoner,” which stands at the notorious Nazi concentration camp, Dachau, as a tribute to those who were persecuted there. Translated, the inscription reads, “To Honor the Dead, To Warn the Living.” The lower picture show Gen. Robert E. Lee, the famed commander of the Confederate States Army and owner of a large slave plantation. The first photo honors the victims; the second photo glorifies the victimizer.

INSTRUCTING INTENTIONALLY

We always encourage respectful dialogue with those who hold differing views. If you find yourself in a conversation with someone who points to preserving Holocaust sites as justification for maintaining Confederate locations, or encounter social media posts on the subject, we recommend pointing out:

1. Yes, many Nazi concentration camps are open to the public, but their main objective is to teach visitors about the atrocities of the past in the hopes that history does not repeat itself. Emphasis is on the suffering of innocent people who were interred there solely because of their religion, race, creed, sexual orientation, disability, or other trait deemed “inferior” by Adolf Hitler.

2. Confederate statues, military bases named after Confederate leaders, and slave plantations venerate the very people who stripped Blacks of their freedom and dignity by pressing them into forced labor and, in many cases, torturing and sexually assaulting them. Advocates of slavery believed whites to be superior to Blacks. Do we really want to pay tribute to these “leaders?”

3. There are no statues of Hitler in Germany. By contrast, the United States is filled with monuments to Confederate leaders, such as Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis, and is home to military bases that pay homage to Confederate generals, such as Fort Bragg and Fort Hood. In other words, Germany is owning and learning from the distasteful and shameful aspects of its past, while supporters of Confederate sites argue preservation “in the name of not rewriting history.”

4. Monuments to historical figures who devalued human life are not necessary for teaching history with integrity, balance, and accuracy. Hitler’s atrocities are comprehensively covered to visitors of former concentration camps—with nary a statue of his likeness. Likewise, Americans can educate citizens and visitors about the Confederate South in the absence of monuments that laud individuals who devalued others.

5. Former concentration camps are treated as solemn sites. Appropriately, the mood is somber. By contrast, weddings and other joyous events are regularly celebrated at former slave plantations and tours of the grounds and mansions are conducted to showcase the Antebellum South.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Have you participated in discussions with individuals who call for dismantling concentration camps if Confederate icons come down? What have you said? What have you learned from these conversations? We want to hear from you.