We Should Know Better? (my unsorted thoughts about the right- wing movement in Germany)
Well, yes! I'm deeply concerned about what is actually happening in my own country. The dramatic rise of the right-wing movement, which again is yelling and marching through our cities, left me with the unpleasant
feeling of a long gone period which was a darker part of our history. To be
clear, there have always been right-wingers in Germany, but now it seems that
these groups are an accepted part of our society rather than merely a fringe
element. Years ago, we used to say that these sorts of people were uneducated and
unemployed individuals caught up in, and latching onto, xenophobic fears, but
now, we can find all kinds of people, from all walks of life, there.
This racism has somehow managed to establish itself within an
educated and prosperous society, and one which I thought would be immune to, if not repelled by, such organized
hatred. However, in addition to all of this unwanted and unwelcome news in the
media, there is also equally much good news which comforts me. I am relieved because
I've also seen that large numbers of people—60,000 in Chemnitz and 10,000 in
Hamburg--are standing up against racism. I've never seen such a huge and vocal
interest in politics before! We are actually living--said with great understatement--in unsettled times.*
Hi Christopher. Good job! Whatever changes that I’ve made were merely
done to allow your sentences to sound more natural to my native ears. I hope
that this helps you. J.
*As an American of color living under Trump, our do-nothing Republican Congress, and his supporters, I can definitely identify with your
unease and know exactly how you are feeling since I am experiencing here also! Fortunately, I live in California, a more multi-ethnic and multi-cultural state than others. Let us hope that saner times quickly return, but also in the interim, let’s actively
support, as well as be counted with, those who are against such racism and
bigotry as aspects of any nation’s policies.
