Some time ago I attended a lecture given by Dr. Daniel Goldhagen, author of the book “Hitler’s Willing Executioners.”  The auditorium was packed. It appeared to me that most of those who had attended, were middle aged. I also noticed that I only saw two or three black persons in the crowd. this was in a city that was black dominated.

A few years ago I invited a black friend to see the movie “Schindler’s List” with me. His response was, ” I’m black, why should I care what happened to Jewish people?” I was very hurt by that cruel and insensitive remark. I am not Jewish and I am not black, but I am concerned about the oppression of any and all people, regardless of race of nationality.

This person went to the movie with me reluctantly. He didn’t have much to say afterwards, but several months later he came to me and told me that he had been thinking about that movie, and it had done something to his feelings toward others who had experienced such horrible atrocities.  He only viewed black slavery as the worst atrocity in history because he is black.

His former narrow-mindedness is often felt by many others the same way. They refuse to learn and listen to the stories of what other groups, who have experienced equal or even worse pain and sufferings from past histories as their own ancestors have. No one group in history has escaped some kind of inhuman treatment or suffering. We can all learn from each other.  That is the only way we can build compassion toward each other.