Taking it All In | Oct. 8, 2006 AS I left Auschwitz, the original camp, I stopped to study and photograph the reactions of people gathered near the entrance listening to tour guides tell the story. This photo, taken from inside the camp gate looking outward, pretty much sums it up: a combination of disgust and shock. These folks look sixtyish, so what they are hearing about happened in their lifetimes or very close to it. This the thing we need to remember: the Holocaust happened recently, in a society just like ours, where a lot of middle class people wanted to enjoy their lives and not be bothered with the affairs of the government. This is why we need to keep it in mind, and watch to see if any patterns are repeating. One of the framers of the U.S. Constitution once remarked that the time to start worrying is not when all your rights are gone, but rather when the first of them is threatened. I have noticed that it's finally becoming less taboo to "be political," as we figure out that "political" is about OUR lives, our futures. We might want to think of more creative ways to do that, how to raise awareness and how to take action. Tomorrow night we will begin exploring Auschwitz ii - Birkenau, and see if the history of this place, the Nazis' most cherished mass human extermination complex, holds any clues for us today. This series will remain on the cover of PlanetWaves.net and EricFrancis.com for about six more nights. Additional photos are being added to the October cover photo gallery: http://planetwaves.info/gallery2006/index.php?m=10&st=& The full series, in chronological order, is kept here: http://www.planetwaves.net/contents/auschwitz_photo_series.html I'll catch you tomorrow.     e