[meteorite-list] re: OT Hitler Autograph disguised as, meteorite coin

From: Marco Langbroek <marco.langbroek_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Sun Sep 4 08:26:08 2005
Message-ID: <431AE7DD.1090408_at_wanadoo.nl>

> 3th in Germany on ebay write i?on
> search Adolf Hitler and take a look what exit, where
> its forbidden???
>
> Matteo

Its forbidden by law in Germany Matteo, just as here in Holland its forbidden to
sell "Mein Kampf" by law. You can get it "under the counter" but anyone offering
it in public risks confiscation and juridical prosecution. If anyone would make
a complaint to German justice about the items you found on German eBay, these
dealers would be in big trouble. So don't use them to justify yourself.

In itself there is nothing wrong with an HISTORICAL interest in such items, and
not everybody collecting these kind of items is necesarily a Neo-Nazi or
Fascist. Sadly enough however, still many of the buyers are all too ignorant of
history, and buy it for reasons of veneration.

The question now is, whether YOU are ignorant of history, Matteo, and of these
connotations and sensitivities. As you come from a former Axis country, you
should be carefull (please note: I do not say that you and/or civilians from
former Axis countries are all still worshipping Fascism. I do say, that
civilians from former Axis countries should be very sensitive to their context
of history and the impression their acts make on outsiders, including civilians
from countries that were occupied by the Axis. That is the burden of being born
there, I am sorry). Do you want to portray yourself as a person with ethics and
a sense of what is appropriate, or do you just want to make unscrupulous money?
Its a bit the same as weapons trade. There is a market for it, allright, that in
some contexts is fully legal, in others isn't. But does this justify being
active in that market?

I take some offence to the fact that you tried to defend yourself by pointing to
Stalin. I fully agree that Stalin was a mass-murderer too. So was Pol Pot, or
Mao, or Bokassa, or Idi Amin. But that does not make Adolph Hitler more acceptable.

I leave it with this as this does not belong on this list proper. But you should
be more sensitive Matteo, to the connotations of what you offer for sale, and if
that attracts critique, that is the result of the choices you made yourself. And
you, only you, are responsible for that. It are YOUR choices.

- Marco

-----
Dr Marco Langbroek
Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)

e-mail: meteorites_at_dmsweb.org
private website http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek
DMS website http://www.dmsweb.org
-----
Received on Sun 04 Sep 2005 08:26:05 AM PDT