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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TimH, post: 3133878, member: 96625&quot;]I&#039;m not saying that the &quot;act&quot; of killing makes Nazis look like boy scouts. They killed many hundreds of thousands who couldn&#039;t defend themselves. But it is also true that there are many extremely cruel groups of people from history that we study, collect their trinkets, and even admire for very specific reasons. It doesn&#039;t mean we admire everything about them, but we might for instance admire the art or scientific knowledge of a certain ancient culture, above that of others; yet we are still appalled when we learn of the blood on their hands. I&#039;m simply saying that a collection is not an admiration by default. I do <i>not</i> admire the Nazis, and I understand the pain people are still feeling. In fact, it is for that very reason that I collect such things - to <i>remember</i>. Did you know that there are people out there (very large groups, becoming larger and larger) who claim that the Nazis never did any of those things. People twist history and try to cover up things that they disagree with. This is why I say that history needs no defense. History is simply truth - an accurate representation of what once happened. History is neither good nor evil - it is a neutral record of both good AND evil. And, if we don&#039;t respect it and remember it on a personal level, others will be more than happy to rewrite it for us.</p><p><br /></p><p>In fact, I think that our conversation is a good indication of some history being forgotten. You&#039;ve implied that the Nazis might be unparalleled. Again, while their actions were indescribably horrific and evil, I see a forgotten history in that statement. I don&#039;t believe that time can erase horror; therefore, I do not hold the horrors of the Nazis as more horrific than equal or greater horrors of ancient civilizations that we all know (or even love for certain qualities). Yes, they&#039;ve been paralleled. They&#039;ve been surpassed in ancient times. Many of us have simply forgotten.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obviously, we should draw lines somewhere. But that line won&#039;t be the same for everyone. For instance, I don&#039;t understand the appeal of collecting old shrunken heads, as some have done. To me, some things are just too direct and simply gross. However, those interested in cultures that did such things usually have pure intentions; therefore, while I am disturbed, I do not fault them for doing so. It is not wrong to study wrong things for the sake of having an accurate record of history, as long as you protect your heart and mind. To me though, I&#039;d never want part of a dead guy on my wall... That&#039;s just... nope... So, I draw my line pretty conservatively; I don&#039;t like nasty artifacts. A head is part of a person who actually suffered, and a coin is a piece of metal that was used as currency by an entire country in the past, some of them who did lots of bad things. See the difference?</p><p><br /></p><p>So, when I collect items from WW2, from both sides (not just the enemy), I do so with a clear conscience. These are not things I&#039;ve done without careful thought, and immense respect for history.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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