Most of the concentration camp guards were in the SS. They made a conscious choice to join, and went through a very rigorous background check and training regimen to get in - all for the privileges.
Now let the SOB pay the price for the privileges. I have no sympathy for him.
Exactly. I would have made an exception in the case of Demjanjuk, a captured Red Army soldier, who had the “choice” of serving as a Camp guard, or most likely getting shot by the Nazis.
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Now let the SOB pay the price for the privileges. I have no sympathy for him.
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I can understand your feelings but is that justice? The SS was declared a criminal organization at Nuremberg and as such members were bared from migration to many countries, employment in West German government and in the Bundeswehr. So the fellow likely paid some penalty already for being a member of the SS.
If the fellow is to be convicted of a crime, should he not be guilty of it? Not saying he is not guilty, but it does seem like you want the guy to suffer regardless of if he is personally guilty of a crime or not. To many here being a 21 year old outer perimeter camp guard does not seem to rise to that level of being a crime, unless he was involved in the internal crimes.
Now being a staff sergeant he might have been involved in more than just sitting in a guard tower, but how do we know at this late date? I suppose the real argument seems to a concern for individual justice vs. folks who want to see justice done for the many folks killed in the camp. I can see both sides.
If I am missing something feel free to correct me.
kind regards