Yesterday I watched the Judgement of the Nuremberg Trials again. I was set on this because I have just started the book ‘East West Street‘ by Philippe Sands. In this book, Phillipe begins a journey on the trail of his family’s secret history, which through many convoluted routes leads him to the origins of international law at the Nuremberg trial.
I am lucky, I live in a country which allows me the freedom to watch and read, in general, anything; this means I have ‘freedom’, but to so many of those who ended up on trial and then camps, or just placed in camps, they were not so lucky.
The book banning boom continues.
Already, the number of attempts this year to censor books in K-12 schools, universities and public libraries is on track to eclipse 2021’s record count, the American Library Association said on Friday. The ALA cataloged 681 attempts between January 1 and August 31; the 2021 tally was 729…
…Hungary restricts sales of LGBT-themed children’s books…
So many parts of the world seek to restrict intellectual freedom and access to information. There are attempts to put restrictions on the internet, for message services to not use end-to-end encryption ‘to protect the people, society and the country.
The American Library Association states:-
…Intellectual freedom is the right of every individual to both seek and receive information from all points of view without restriction. It provides for free access to all expressions of ideas through which any and all sides of a question, cause or movement may be explored…
So this brings me back to the Nuremberg Trials, I am attaching a link to the transcript of the Judgement Nuremberg Trials, and also a link to an excerpt of the movie with Spencer Tracy playing Chief Judge Dan Haywood.
Whilst the whole statement should be read to truly understand the trial, the first section entitled ‘The Seizure of Power and Subjugation of Germany to a Police State.’ brings me to look at the world in so many places, including the UK. Which states currently seem to be applying what is outlined?
Please think carefully before you sign up for things calling for your support, understand the whole picture, not just that outlined to you in the Call to Action.
Links:
- Summation for the Prosecution by Justice Robert Jackson
- YouTube – The Judgement at the Nuremberg Trials (excerpt)
- Surveillance and Big Brother
- Wikipedia – Spencer Tracy