Exile for Nazi Guards

Last time I wrote about this topic I supported the side of mercy for the guards in a comment on Mrs. Stewart's original post. So now I will take the opposite position.

I believe these men should be sent back to Germany. These "soldiers" were enemies to the United States for a number of years. They fought against your grandparents and their brothers and sisters. If it wasn't for men like these millions of lives could have been saved, the bombing of Pearl Harbor may have never happened, and the Jewish people would not have been punished and murdered. These men are not soldiers, they are criminals. They did not kill soldiers shooting at them, they murdered innocent men, women, and children. These men risked American lives, fought to end our nation, and then come to live here some years later? Does that make any sense? These Nazis who love Germany enough to murder children, should go back to their beloved country and be lucky they aren't tried for their crimes against a race of innocent human beings who did not deserve what these men condemned them to; they do not deserve to live on American soil with Jewish people and Americans who's family members died to stop their mass murders.

Liesel not Jewish

I found another part that leads me to believe the opposite of my earlier post. On page 161, in the beginning of the chapter called "Tricksters," there is a short discussion of how "...Liesel Meminger had it easy." followed by a statement saying "...anything was better than being a Jew."

This statement leads me to believe that Liesel is actually not Jewish.

Comment with your opinions supporting or opposing this claim.

Winston Churchill

On June 18th of 1940, Winston Churchill ended a speech with a quote I find absolutely brilliant. The moral boost this quote must have given the soldiers who heard it is almost unimaginable.

This speech was given to the House of Commons, Prime Minister after a series of events in Europe that leave Britain seemingly solitay against a Nazi Germany war machine that has, so far, steamrolled all who oppose it.

After bringing many events and future predictions to the attention of his audience, Churchill ends his speech with a small phrase that to this day is recycled and used very commonly with little knowledge that it was the infamous Churchill that first said those words. The words are as follows:

"...Let us therefore brace ourselves to our duties, and so bear ourselves that if the British Empire and its Commonwealth last for a thousand years, men will still say, 'This was their finest hour.'"

This quote guarantees the brave British men that entered battle, thereafter, a place in history as the finest of their entire nation. The moral boost acquired from those words must have been enormous. Also, as I mentioned before, the words "finest hour" have been recycled in movies, tv series, and even video games like Call of Duty: Finest Hour. A military shooter based on WWII in Europe.

With an almost endless number of quotes by Winston Churchill, this remains one of my favorites.

A Jewish fist fighter

I just finished the part of The Book Thief where Liesel fights the kids at school, and it reminded me of a part I read earlier. On the bottom of page 5, there is a list of six things marked with an asterisk, the second from the bottom being "A Jewish fist fighter." Is this forshadowing Liesel's fight? Which would make her Jewish. Or maybe another part of the story I have yet to get to?

Introduction

Hello,

My name is Ross Bass. I am a freshman at the University of Michigan in Dearborn. I am new to blogging, and will begin by introducing myself. I graduated from Edsel Ford High School in 2009, as well as DCMST (the Dearborn Center for Math, Science, and Technology). Prior to high school I attended O.L. Smith Middle School and Nowlin Elementary. My father attended the University of Michigan in Dearborn, and my mother attended Henry Ford Community College, and has recently returned there in pursuit of new career options. I have two brothers, my older brother also attends Henry Ford Community College, and my younger brother attends middle school. I chose U of M Dearborn, primarily, due to its proximity to my home, as well as scholarships and other factors. I am still undecided as to my degree and future career choices, but plan on attending U of M Dearborn for at least four years.

Besides my academic career I am currently unemployed, besides occasional work for my dad's landscaping company, and I am currently focusing on my transition to college and succeeding thereunto. In my spare time I am a "traceur." A traceur is someone who practices or trains in the art of "parkour." The word parkour, as well as traceur, are French in origin. The Americanized version of parkour, "free running," is often referred to as the cousin to parkour, as it is in many ways similar, but varies in philosophy. Although no distinct line is dawn between parkour and free running, and the differences are often disputed. Some say free running is just parkour in English; while some draw large distinctions and even look down on free running. I myself, not saying I am right or wrong, learned that free running was more based on acrobatics (front flips, back flips, etc.), while parkour, or l'art du deplacement, is a physical discipline, not a sport, in which practitioners train to overcome physical obstacles (walls, buildings, trees, cars, etc.) as quickly and efficiently as possible. Parkour is primarily practiced in urban environments, but is in no way limited to them. Things like rock climbing or extreme hiking would be fantastic training locations for traceurs, and free runners alike. You can find loads of information online about parkour and free running, and hundreds of incredible videos. That is just a brief description off the top of my head as I am very often asked "What is that?" And for anyone that wants to learn more, I started a local crew (parkour slang for group or team) with some friends from high school, and we are always looking to expand, teach, and welcome new members. Contact me at GuerillasParkour@yahoo.com