Letters to the Editor
maureenodonnell
Published Letters: 590 Editor's Choice: 5
-
CaptainlArab p.ll -Barack Obama gave a very impressive speech on 2 October 2002 but there are some anomalies in it
[Read the article: Obama hits back at Clinton ad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]When he spoke about his grandfather fightin in the US army in WW11, Senator Obama said "We heard the stories of fellow troops who first entered Auschwitz and Treblinka". It can be very easily ascertaine that it was the Russian (Red) Army which liberated Auschwitz and not the Americans. Treblinka, also in Poland, had an equally horrific histroy but nobody liberated it. There was an uprising there on 2 August l943, during which 200 doomed prisoners broke out, of which only 60 survived. The final gassing of the remaining prisoners took place within the following three weeks of August l943. The camp was then ploughed (plowed) over, trees were planted and there was no evidence of the atrocity except that provided later (post-war) by eye-witnesses.
Thank you for your advice, CaptainlArab. I think the Russians feel aggrieved that they are not given enough credit for fighting Hitler's armies in Europe and I'm not fully cogniscant of what happened, although the battle of Stalingrad is accepted as turning the tide against the Germans. What is true, however, is that it was the Red Army which first got into Eastern Europe (neighbouring countries) and it was the Russians who went into Auschwitz in Poland and not the Americans.
-
Piece of Cake, don't you know I've read that speech? CaptainlArab advised me where I could read it.
[Read the article: Obama hits back at Clinton ad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]In deference to CaptainlArab I read Senator Obama's speech and I quoted from it subsequently. I don't know why you have to type it out all over again for me. Piece of cake, I'm quite quick-witted and noticed the claim that Americans had been first into Auschwitz and had also been in Treblinka. Well, I did know that it was the Red Army that got into Auschwitz first because the pictures of "man's inhumanity to man" are famous or, more correctly infamous. I wasn't absolutely sure about Treblinka although it seemed likely that the Reds would have liberated it too, as Poland is cheek-by-jowl with Russia and was once part of the Russian Empire. I checked the facts about Treblinka before writing.
I note that you call Senator Obama a "visionary". I was brought up in a religion where "visions" were a big thing. At around ten years of age myself and some friends went into a bluebell wood in the month of May and looked up into the sky, hoping to see a vision of Mary. We
stared and stared but nothing happened. Maybe it was then that I became disillusioned with visions and visionaries, although I'm no way like George Bush snr. who hadn't a clue about "this vision thing" when asked about his vision of/for America. There's too much anger around and we all use English differently. For instance, if someone said to me "You look a sight", I'd be insulted but if that person said "You look a vision" I'd be glowing with satisfaction.
-
Piece of Cake, I know we can all be erratic at times but you have now just "taken the biscuit".
[Read the article: Obama hits back at Clinton ad]
[Read more letters about this article: Here]I think Americans call "biscuits" by another name i.e. "cookies". Anyway, you've just been contradicting yourself with "most important part" and "least important part". I asked the question because someone is telling tall tales about World War 11. I'm not ascribing anything to anyone but if you don't like historical facts I can't do anything about that except repeat that what Senator Obama said about his grandfather in relation to Auschwitz and Treblinka is contrary to established facts. Stalin and Hitler were two of a kind but the Russian soldiers must have the credit for liberating Auschwitz and as for those poor souls in Treblinka, nobody came to their rescue. If you object to my contradicting what was in Senator Obama's undoubtedly eloquent speech, why not come out and say it instead of "beating about the bush", although I reckon that the last word should have a capital as in Bush. I'm looking at your election quite objectively and I'll tell you straight that I have an innate distrust of chanting (Black-Eyed Peas on You Tube etc.) and mass adoration. I hope that's OK with you, Piece of Cake, and you can tell me I'm all wrong about Auschwitz and Treblinka if you like. I did read Barack Obama's speech and I was impressed. I asked my husband to read it too - although he wouldn't bother getting into arguments with Americans - and he thought it was good until he came to the bit about Auschwitz and Treblinks. We discussed Auschwitz and agreed that it was the Russians who had first gone there as they pushed towards Berlin. I then checked on Treblinka and posted what I'd found.
He's gone to bed and I should be going in that direction but I resent being taken for a fool, Piece of Cake, although I can laugh at it too. I have no ill-will to you at all. I'll have to log off shortly and I'm sure you can all argue away to your hearts' content. I come from a different world which is simultaneously the same world so my point of view will probably differ from yours.