Periodically we run across a historical description that sounds unbelievable — “Could this really have happened?” Then we investigate and discover that not only did it happen, it was actually worse than we could ever have imagined. Some of the stories from the civil rights struggle in this country and the Holocaust are two ready examples.
While teaching world history this week, I got another reminder of how time and fading memories can sanitize historical events unless we revisit them — the Berlin Wall. Yes, the entire country of Germany was cut in two by an elaborate line of death. If anyone needs a refresher on this Cold War icon, there is an excellent ten-minute simulation on YouTube entitled “Walled In”. Just go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwQsTzGkbiY
As the saying goes, we must never forget.