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Would you be friends with someone once you discover their father was an SS officer? I became acquainted with a German lady who invited me to her house for coffee. She showed me a huge display of family photos which included a man in a SS uniform. She said it was her father (and quickly added "but he didn't do anything bad"). I said nothing. While I have no idea how she feels toward Jews, this is really bothering me as several people close to me lost relatives in the holocaust.
Of course I would be friends with them, even close friends I would trust, unless they were bragging about their father or mentioned that they admired the SS or any other Nazi organization. It's more of a gray area if they try to ignore what their father did, like if they were to say "my father was the sweetest man, I won't let anyone speak badly of him" if he was responsible for killing innocent people during WWII. It's very hard to let go of warm fuzzy feelings of your parents if that's all you were personally acquainted with.
The SS uniform was not the standard uniform for men who did nothing. For her to idolize that photo by portraying it proudly on a shelf is slap in face to all people (and the generations that followed) who survived the war. Maybe some of you need to know what that uniform portrays:
I think I would ask the person to tell me more about their father and then based on how they related that information, I could make assessment about their beliefs which would determine if I should continue the friendship or not.
Would you be friends with someone once you discover their father was an SS officer? I became acquainted with a German lady who invited me to her house for coffee. She showed me a huge display of family photos which included a man in a SS uniform. She said it was her father (and quickly added "but he didn't do anything bad"). I said nothing. While I have no idea how she feels toward Jews, this is really bothering me as several people close to me lost relatives in the holocaust.
Why would it bother you? She could not control what her Father did for a living no matter how horrible it may have been.
This woman did nothing wrong yet you decide she is not good enough to be friends with because of what her Father may or may not have done so many years ago?
The SS uniform was not the standard uniform for men who did nothing. For her to idolize that photo by portraying it proudly on a shelf is slap in face to all people (and the generations that followed) who survived the war. Maybe some of you need to know what that uniform portrays:
Why wouldn't she idolize her own Father if she loved him and he loved her and cared for her?
She cannot control what her Father did and she has nothing to be ashamed of.
Her putting the photo up in her home of her Father is not a slap in the face to anyone no matter what uniform he is wearing.
Maybe some of you need to not punish the child for the Father's choices.
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