Lessons Learned From Lidice

     This summer I had the opportunity to visit Europe with my family.  We had a great time and made a lot of wonderful memories.  One of the places we visited was Czech Republic.  It is a beautiful country with a rich history.  My brother lived there for two years when he was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He was our tour guide while we were in the country and one of the places he took us to was the memorial for the village of Lidice.

The Memorial (and museum) to Lidice

     For those of you who don't know, Lidice was a village that was completely annihilated under Hitler's orders following the assassination of Reinhard Heydrich by two Czech soldiers.  The village was used as a scapegoat and propaganda for the Nazi regime.  The men were all rounded up and killed immediately.  The woman and children were separated with the woman being sent to concentration camps.  A few of the children were selected for Germanization while the rest were killed.  The town was then razed and burned, even the cemetery was dug up and destroyed.  The orders were to leave no trace of the town or it's people.

Where the church originally stood

     The memorial to the events that transpired is beautiful and heartbreaking.  The Nazi's documented everything they did so there is no shortage of evidence.  A video of the survivors talk about their experiences from the war.  It is a sobering reminder of  the evil people can be capable of.  The memorial is also a reminder that there is still good to be found even when it seems like there is only darkness around you.  Hitler may have destroyed the town and it's people but he didn't destroy their spirit.  Lidice is remembered and it is not forgotten.

The memorial to the children of Lidice

"82 children of Lidice gassed by the Nazi's in 1942.  In memory of the millions of children who perished in the second World War."

The Nazi's killed the men

Separated the women and children

Taking the children away

     I found myself reflecting back on our time here this past week as my newsfeed on Facebook suddenly became flooded with articles and statuses concerning the Supreme Court's decision on Gay Marriage.  People on both sides were giving their opinion and some of it became rather ugly, as high emotional topics tend to do.  Someone's opinion that was full of love and kindness suddenly became a battle ground full of hatred and vile words.  People telling others to go kill themselves was actually on the nicer end of things.  "Hater" and "bigot" were also thrown around a lot and I just kept thinking about the events in Lidice.  How are these even related you might wonder?
     I think that when we call someone names, we stop seeing them as people.  If we dehumanize them in our minds then what they say has no relevance to us and we convince ourselves that they don't matter.  That's what the Nazi's did.  When we "yell" at someone and call them " a stupid bigoted *@**#$*%^& and that they and their whole family need to die," or that "they'll rot in Hell," are we really any better than those whose actions we find abhorrent and inhumane? Sure, we might not be out killing anyone for their contrasting beliefs but is attacking them, their families, their beliefs and their livelihood really all that different?  Isn't that where it all starts, with our words?
     People will have varying opinions and beliefs, it's inevitable.  That's what makes us humans and not robots.  It is a beautiful thing when people have differences of opinion or beliefs and they still respect, love, and help each other.  They can come together and work out their problems.  They see other people as humans, their friends.  I don't have the same beliefs as some of my friends and that's never been a problem.  We still hang out, watch movies, talk, eat, laugh, wish each other happy birthday, celebrate each other's joyful moments, lend comfort during hard times, and help each other be a better person.
     I firmly believe in the saying "Those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it."  Let's take a lesson from others and look past our differences.  A person's opinion on marriage is only a small part of who they are.
     This is a song from my Church that children learn to sing.  I love it because it teaches such a simple, but powerful message.  No matter the differences between us we can still love one another.
If you don't walk as most people do,
Some people walk away from you,

But I won't! I won't!

If you don't talk as most people do,

Some people talk and laugh at you,

But I won't! I won't!

I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.

That's how I'll show my love for you.

Jesus walked away from none.

He gave his love to ev'ryone.

So I will! I will!

Jesus blessed all he could see,

Then turned and said, "Come, follow me."

And I will! I will!

I will! I will!

I'll walk with you. I'll talk with you.

That's how I'll show my love for you.