You think that surely, the generation that was responsible for war crimes during World War II surely must be dying off, but then you see the headlines in the news.
It's amazing to think that, even almost seventy years since the war's end, it is still making news, in some small way.
Such an impact on history, although it was obviously a horrible one! Those former members of the SS, who were responsible for slaughters, war crimes, and crimes against humanity, continue to be hunted, and even captured, even many decades after the event. Even as old men.
I know some people think that it goes too far, when they see images of very old men being brought to court and tried for crimes that took place literally a lifetime ago. That is understandable, on some level.
But then again, these crimes were not normal crimes. They were on such a scale, possessed such a magnitude of significance, that indeed, we are still talking about them, and prosecuting them, to this day, often seventy years later. When we see war crimes and crimes against humanity taking place in other parts of the world, in more recent eras, in places like the former Yugoslavia, or Rwanda, or Cambodia, or nowadays, in places like Sudan, Syria, or the Central African Republic, then you can begin to understand the importance of sending a message and making an example of those responsible for such crimes. Making people pay for the horrific events that they were at least a significant part of, if not outright responsible for, seems the only way that we can fight against such things, and perhaps, maybe, help in preventing them from happening in the future - if it is even possible to realistically believe that. A sitting president of another country was held responsible, and tried, for war crimes that occurred in another country. Although it is only when you remove the immunity that world leaders once enjoyed, can you hope to truly at least limit their actions, by stripping them of their near total impunity.
So, I say, let the hunt continue. These men, however frail looking they may appear nowadays, were once grown young men, with power over other people. Power that they abused, and committed atrocities with. Let them be held accountable for their crimes, no matter how long ago they may have been, for these are not normal crimes. These are crimes that continue to live on in the history books, such as the one that Werner C. is being charged with, for his role in the massacre at Oradour-sur-Glane, where people were locked into a church, with the church then set on fire. This was an event that the movie "The Patriot" used for their own movie, even though it historically never happened in the colonies during the American Revolution. It would happen nearly two hundred years later, in France. And if this man is responsible, even partially, let him pay the price now, and let his presumably good name in the years in between be forever tarnished as a result.
Not all of them are found guilty, for that matter. Below the stories of Werner C., there is a story of a man who used to be a member of Hitler's elite Waffen SS, who was dismissed of the crimes because of lost evidence. Maybe he is not guilty, or maybe indeed, so much time had passed, the evidence that could have confirmed his guilt was lost. It is indeed difficult to keep stellar records for such a length of time, with the hopes of someday, perhaps, having the opportunity to bring those responsible to justice.
"Former SS Soldier Werner C. Charged With Massive Civilian Massacre":, January 8, 2014:
http://www.inquisitr.com/1087912/former-ss-soldier-werner-c-charged-with-massive-civilian-massacre/
"88-Year-Old Charged in Nazi-Era Massacre" BERLIN January 8, 2014 (AP) By DAVID RISING Associated Press
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/88-year-charged-nazi-era-massacre-21459844
Former SS soldier, 88, charged over 1944 village massacre in France BERLIN Wed Jan 8, 2014:
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/01/08/us-germany-nazi-massacre-idUSBREA0718220140108?feedType=RSS
German Court Dismisses Case Against Nazi Guard Over Lost Evidence:
http://screen.yahoo.com/german-court-dismisses-case-against-111730425.html
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