Nazis...Here, There and Everywhere

This is a true story and as is often the case,  truth can be stranger than fiction. I am an Irish Jew by birth, but was raised in the Roman Catholic tradition, in a predominantly German neighborhood, in post WWII Philadelphia...ach du what the hell!? Growing up, my buddies and I were always fascinated by emergent trends, often informed by hatred and ignorance. Sometimes  the prejudice targeted the Irish, other times Eastern European refugees escaping Hitler; hatred of the Catholics and Blacks was always big, and  then, as Phil Ochs sang in National Brotherhood Week, "...everybody hates the Jews."  Since I was a mongrel, roots, such as mine,  put you in a bind...like who could I freely hate and mock? When I was young, I had to be careful or I could have ended up scrawling hate notes targeting myself or burning a cross in front of my family's own shanty. Sometimes life's just not fair. Nothing's easy.
Nowadays, in many parts of the world, including here in the good old US of A, suspicion and hostility towards difference is on the rise. Some seem to be enjoying the freedom and license to scorn "the other" all the while accepting elements of Totalitarianism and Authoritarianism as  reasonable, effective approaches to governance.  Some even consider test driving  those historically failed and patently evil courses. As you will hear, some minds are fertile ground to sow seeds of hatred and betrayal. The child that is featured in this chilling tale grew up with, were nurtured by and went to church with the very parents she would later consider having eliminated for the "common good." I thought it might be fun to open a few of those doors and see what flies out.  So, lock the doors, buckle up, and prepare to be surprised. Enjoy.