My father was only a kid when he was sent to Auschwitz. The things he had to endure and tolerate to survive, were so painfully etched in his memory, he shook in his sleep most of his life. It was as “normal” to him as it is for me to snore- and I snore.
As children, we were warned not to ask him about those times and we did not until he was much older and we feared we would never truly understand who our father was, before he was gone.
My sister was the first to broach the topic with him and what followed was a relief and release inside him that sustained him for many more years. Out of honor for my father’s memory, I will not share the personal choices and horrors he endured in his own private battle simply to survive. Suffice to say, you cannot imagine.
As I have written in the past few weeks, I have been in Israel and then in London for part of the Olympics. At Yad Vashem, I visited the Hall of Remembrance where I found the only memorial for my grandparents, my uncles and aunt. It was a stunning, personal moment and I stood there thanking G*d for these people who had imprinted my Dad with nothing more than a will to live.
Leaving there, we traveled to London to see one of my father’s direct decedents win a medal for the United States of America. In the interests of privacy, I leave it at that.
The central theme in my father’s memories of those days was simple. Sometimes you are forced to do anything to make it through another night with the hope that the next day might be better.
My Dad loved this country and he instilled in his children that same passion. We have subsequently passed that love to our children and now my grandchildren.
I respect whatever decisions you all make about who you will vote for and who you support. That is each man’s choice.
However, my fear is that this country that I love, that saved my Dad and gave our family a chance to rebuild, will not survive another four years with the current President in office. Romney was not my first choice. Not even remotely.
But like my Dad, we don’t always get the things we want and sometimes we have to do the best we can with what we have to make it through a night and hope for another day. I would respectfully suggest that those of you who are not voting for Romney because he’s not exactly what you want, have not ever been through periods of true starvation where you will do anything to fill the pain and agony caused by emptiness and G*d bless you for it. Men should not have to endure those things.
All I know for certain? Had my Dad not made the choices he made to survive, I would not have seen his great-grandchild achieve something that young boys mind could not have dreamed about not all that long ago.
Do what your conscience dictates- but don’t let personal feelings stand in the way for what may be the country’s last chance to make it through this night and live for a better day.
As far as “Mormons”..... I have known all my life the results of being hated for my religion and like most others- I am what I am because I was born who I was born. I will not judge the religion of others I do not know, unless they use their religion as a weapon. I do not believe Mormons have done such.
Thank you Jim for the right to speak and G*d guide us all and save this great nation.
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The central theme in my father’s memories of those days was simple. Sometimes you are forced to do anything to make it through another night with the hope that the next day might be better.
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However, my fear is that this country that I love, that saved my Dad and gave our family a chance to rebuild, will not survive another four years with the current President in office.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I share your fear. Perhaps your post will open some eyes to the seriousness of what we face. I hope so. B"H
Your post captured everything I’ve been trying to say myself. Thank you!
Thank you for inserting some decency and wisdom. It is appreciated.
“However, my fear is that this country that I love, that saved my Dad and gave our family a chance to rebuild, will not survive another four years with the current President in office.”
Holy God of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob....save us from those that would defile the memory of those poor souls lost in the Holocaust by using them as a political lever to get people to vote for an unacceptable Romney.
CWSBTEXAS - This is the United States of America. No POTUS, even one as bad as Obama, can turn this country into a NAZI Germany. The PEOPLE will not allow it - NEVER. Stop fanning false fear to garner support for Romney who doesn’t deserve support. IF you are going to be afraid, then be equally afraid of both Obama and Romney.
Thank you sharing your personal story. I agree.
That is an excellent post. Unfortunately it will fall on deaf ears of many posters here. For one thing, it is longer than most have the attention span to read, and secondly it is a reasonable post which they have no interest in. For many, it is much to sensitive and compassionate, you know, not manly enough for behind the keyboard tough guys.
Great post!!!!
Thank you for this wonderful post and for sharing with us as well as pointing out the true scope of what we are facing.
God bless you and yours.
That said...voting for Romney is not going to save this nation...anyone who believes that to be true is sadly mistaken. G-d bless.
Thank you for your words and for sharing your family history with us. God Bless your family.
Thank you.
Thank you for a wonderful post.
Too bad it sailed above the level of comprehension of some here.
Choosing whether to vote for Romney or not will pale in comparison to the moral choices that will have to be made by every American if Obama is re-elected.
EXCELLENT post and may I humbly suggest that you write a memoir detailing what you have outlined here. You are a great writer and it would also be a blessing to memorialize the suffering and redemption (through surviving and having a loving family) that your father went through. God bless you.
Best post of the entire thread. I have tears in my eyes from that.
Thank you so very much. We must do EVERYTHING within our power to ensure the resounding defeat of Barack Hussein 0bama.
Like you, I believe that - to paraphrase Mr. Franklin, we must all stand together, or we will most surely find ourselves CHAINED together.
Romney is most certainly not the candidate many of us would have chosen, but he is who we are left with, and even aside from Ryan,(who, IMNSHO was a GREAT choice), the reality is that with work, we can and will be able to keep Romney in line. 0bama? Just look at all he has wrought when he knew he had to be reelected?! He WILL complete the transformation my FRiends.
May God guide our course.
Tatt
Who is in the foxhole with Andrew.
I’ll add to all of the other responses in thanking you for clarity and perspective that could only come from having that account of struggle come directly from a person that suffered through it.
May it open the heads of those that still dont get that this election is not a joke.
God bless you, and your entire family.
Thank you for that post.
God’s speed, and may God grant our fellow citizens the wisdom to do what we have to do to save our republic from the current anti-God marxists who are driving it into the ground.
America at the Crossroads of History
http://www.jeffhead.com/crossroads.htm