The Holocaust?

It's easy to say that some of us, including myself, will never really understand or even know what happened in the Holocaust. Whether its because we never really cared or never got around to researching it, many people don't actually know what exactly happened or why it happened. I remember first hearing about it at school several years ago- didn't even know what it was or who was involved. I didn't really care, either- it never struck my mind that this was quite possibly one of the most terrible events in human history. Looking back, I feel ashamed, as I have sort of disrespected those who were tragically affected by the Holocaust. But should I be ashamed? Is it my fault that I wasn't aware? The problem is that there is no answer to this question. It isn't anyone's fault that I didn't know, and it's not my fault that I didn't care. We live in such a privileged age, where we can communicate with each other at the touch of a button, where we can drive to the store and come back without any hesitation, where we are allowed to speak freely, where we can express our beliefs-regardless of what they may be-without being tormented constantly. Maybe it's the fact that a time like the Holocaust is so shocking that it's fantasy- a story to be taken with a grain of salt. For most millennials, it really is hard to grasp the presence of an issue bigger than bad wifi or how many likes a photo got on Instagram. So what does learning about the Holocaust really teach us? Does it teach us not to be like Adolf Hitler? Does it teach us not to scrutinize others' beliefs and judge them based on how they look? No, because if that were true, then the Holocaust, excuse me for saying this, did a poor job. Hitler once said that, "the Jews are undoubtedly a race, but they are not human." This relatively extreme statement still seems to be prevalent today, with the amount of racism that can't seem to end. I think the Holocaust reminds us all of how truly destructive and powerful a single human with a purpose can be. The fact that one person can influence an entire nation to believe Jews aren't humans is simply disgusting, but I guess this power resides in everyone, when they truly have the motivation and determination to carry it out. Hitler may have been a bad person, but he was very smart in realizing the power of the human mind before anyone else did. He knew the potential he had and carried it out to persuade unfathomable amounts of people And by God, how well that worked for him.