Hitler was born on this day in 1889, an occasion for celebration for neo-Nazi skinheads, Aryan supremacist groups, and other reprobates who depise Jews, Africans, Asians, and, well, the list goes on. His evil legacy will live on throughout the centuries, long after our demise. He’ll always remind us of the power of hate, how it consumes and devours everything in its path given opportunity and resources. His inimitable image also invokes the devotion to a perverse idea of world domination and the annihilation of a people, many peoples in fact—an unwavering commitment to a supposed higher goal of perfection devoid of conventional morality and fed by conquest. Let us reflect briefly on the dark side of humanity and the forces that can inspire and then unleash our homocidal potentional, for Hitler was not alone in what he did. Let us also be mindful that killing of such magnitude does not come about through a sudden outburst of anger and passion. Instead, it’s systematic and rational. It requires careful planning and cost-benefit analysis. Once we've so reflected on such loathsome deeds and what they imply for humankind—being brief about it so as not to get discouraged—let us continue about our business of love and kindness to one another.
