Reagan’s Visit to a German Cemetery

In response to today’s editorial (April 23), and a previous one, regarding President Reagan’s visit to Bitburg, I feel compelled to speak out.

It is ludicrous to think that anyone in Europe or the United States is ignorant or unaware of the atrocities for which the SS stood. Nor, does anyone think that the coldblooded murder of more than 6 million Jews is in any danger of being whitewashed or forgotten.

But in a nation where more than half the population was either too young or not even around during World War II, how much collective shame and guilt should those individuals be asked to endure, and to what purpose?

You say that the President should not set foot in any cemetery in Germany where an SS individual is buried. I am not an expert on burial sites, but it is a reasonable assumption that it would be difficult, if not impossible, to find a graveyard with that condition. In war the “good” fall with the “bad” and are all buried.

Germany has made an honest attempt to become a moral democracy. In a world where racial atrocities are commonplace, Germany and the German people have taken extra efforts to ensure freedom of religion, race and creed. How long must we wait before we show the Germans some appreciation for what they have accomplished? Must they always be forced into second-class international citizenship because of past crimes?

No one, least of all the Germans, needs an editorial to point out what the SS were. No one will ever forget the Holocaust. But take time to remember that one of the causes of World War II stemmed directly from the humiliation Germany suffered at the end of World War I. This was a direct influence on the rampant nationalism that Hitler so carefully encouraged to gain support for his hideous programs.

If we are going to learn from history, let us take the time to learn from all of it, not just a segment. Reagan did blunder by not including a stop at a concentration camp on his itinerary right from the start. It is not , however, a “blunder” to be willing to visit a German cemetery. It is an act of courage on his part based on a very sincere desire to try to help heal the wounds of war.

LUCILLE HARRISON

Corona del Mar