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This article was written by the United States Memorial Museum about the denial of the Holocaust. It’s an informative piece that is aimed towards anyone who may be interested in history or social studies, and it claims that there has been an unjust denial of the atrocities and events of the Holocaust since the time it occurred. Denial is sparked for many irrational reasons: anti semitism, racist, political, or strategic reasons. Some were in denial because they didn't want to have it be reality. Many countries were aware of issue, yet took too long to actually intervene. Therefore, hundreds more lost their lives. Hate groups with neo-nazi beliefs have grown from denial as well. This relates to Orwell’s warning of denying history, and in this case, it had negative repercussions.

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Combating Holocaust Denial: Origins of Holocaust Denial

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Many people who deny the Holocaust argue that the supposed "hoax" served above all the interests of the State of Israel. Holocaust denial is, for these people, also an attack on the legitimacy of the State of Israel. Finally, others deny the Holocaust because they want to see a resurgence of Nazi racism.

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This article was written by those who work at politifact after the 2016 election, regarding Donald Trump’s statements and their accuracy. The website provides fact based information and is directed towards the general population, as the election affects everyone. The most important aspect of this article is the false information or quotes highlighted that Trump has said. As a political figure, the general population often believes the things the president or presidential candidate says, but looking at this article may prompt some to think otherwise. The release of false information is similar to the the party's release of false news in 1984’s Oceania. Both are political regimes that help gain or keep a following. With the mass release of false statements, there is a population of ignorant individuals that can’t properly contribute to society because of their lack of a full understanding pertaining to their surroundings. This restricts productivity and intervenes with the workings of society.

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Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Nov. 8, 2016. He has been a real estate developer, entrepreneur and host of the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice." Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015 Lie of the Year. Born and raised in New York City, Trump is married to Melania Trump, a former model from Slovenia. Trump has five children and eight grandchildren. Three of his children, Donald Jr., Ivanka, and Eric, serve as executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization.

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Donald Trump was elected the 45th president of the United States on Nov. 8, 2016. He has been a real estate developer, entrepreneur and host of the NBC reality show, "The Apprentice." Trump's statements were awarded PolitiFact's 2015 Lie of the Year.

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This article is an opinion based entry by an anonymous user on December 11, 2009 about the denial of Native American genocide, citing sources and reflecting on the reasoning and effects of the occurrences. This is directed at the general population but specifically targets those interested in American history or native populations. It makes a point of highlighting the denial that has occurred throughout history involving the genocide of natives as well as people making excuses for it. Some claim that all great countries include their share of invasions, dispossessions and injustices.  The author states, “The social conscience of the dominant culture does not want to lose its power, so it restrains its own humanity with ideologies and anything that points the finger the other way,” a similar concept to Orwell’s warning regarding the denial of history. But this article reflects on the impact it can have on modern day society, and in this case, it leaves an entire population of people with the world against them.

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The extent to which a Nation denies the genocide it has committed is a measure of that Nation's social conscience. The social conscience of the United States is infected with numerous rationalizations that keep the dark light from shining. Federal and state institutions are named after mass murderers, and the land tells a story of massacres and atrocities that occurred. But the truth is not forgotten, it is denied.

Source
8. DENIAL is the eighth stage that always follows a genocide. It is among the surest indicators of further genocidal massacres. The perpetrators of genocide dig up the mass graves, burn the bodies, try to cover up the evidence and intimidate the witnesses. They deny that they committed any crimes, and often blame what happened on the victims. They block investigations of the crimes, and continue to govern until driven from power by force, when they flee into exile.

Genocide is not just denied in the United States, it is celebrated.

The term "redskins" actually refers to the Indian skins and body parts that bounty hunters had to show in order to receive payment for killing Indians, the National Congress of American Indians argued in a brief filed before the high court.

What we shall see, is that denying the genocide of the American Indian is for ideological or economic reasons. What we need to know, is how specifically people deny the genocide of the American Indian.

Leonard Crow Dog and Richard Erdoes. "Crow Dog." pp. 6-7.

Only when we saw them building roads through our land, wagons at first, and then the railroad, when we watched them building forts, killing off all the game, committing buffalo genocide, and we saw them ripping up our Black Hills for gold, our sacred Paha Sapa, the home of the wakinyan, the thunderbirds, only then did we realize what they wanted was our land. Then we began to fight. For our earth. For our children. That started what the whites call the Great Indian Wars of the West. I call it the Great Indian Holocaust.

Ideological reasons are a motive for denying genocide. For example, "A nation ashamed of its past will fear its future;" and, "Such attitudes, which dominate the councils of the elite, are the single greatest threat to our survival." Does the dominant culture's survival really depend on denying that "battles" were massacres and Hitler was inspired by "actual U.S. examples?"

Source
And...quoting from Chapter 5 - The Earth Is Our Mother from the book The State of Native America, Genocide, Colonization and Resistance, edited by Annette Jaimes, ISBN 0-89608-424-9:

- snip -

..Even the the nazi tactic of concentrating 'undesireables' prior to their forced 'relocation or reduction' was drawn from actual U.S. examples, including internment of the Cherokees and other 'Civilized Tribes' during the 1830's before the devastatingly lethal Trail of Tears was forced upon them, and the comparable experience of the Navajo people at the Bosque Redondo during the period 1864-68.

Of course the dominant culture's survival does not really depend on denying that "battles" were massacres and Hitler was inspired by "actual U.S. examples." Remembering the dominant culture is a mindset, at least one author and possibly his readers do feel some sort of survival instinct in connection with their genocide denial. We'll see those specific examples shortly. But we also know there are economic considerations, namely being held accountable, that motivate some to deny genocide.

http://www.mail-archive.com/fu...
Newspapers of the day publicized bounty notices on current "uprisings." A 1922 article in the Rocky Mountain News reported a $25 reward for those who defeated "efforts to sign the roads into the Navajo reservation ... The redskins are said to tear out or carry away all sign-boards."

The Rocky Mountain News had political and proprietary interests in the Colorado gold and in clearing the territory of Indians to get at it. The newspaper started a drumbeat against Cheyenne Dog Soldiers and other "hostiles" that culminated in the Sand Creek Massacre of a peace camp of Cheyenne elders, pregnant women and children on Nov. 29, 1864.

The News celebrated the "Battle" of Sand Creek, lauding the Colorado Volunteers' "Bloody Thirdsters" as having "covered themselves with glory." By contrast, the U.S. Army officers on site reported it as the Sand Creek "Massacre" and described the soldiers as "barbaric" and "covered with gore."

Until now, we have discussed some "whys," which can be simplified into ideological or economic reasons.

Denials Of The Genocide Of Native Americans
There are many other examples of denial by perpetrators who wish to escape negative reactions to their deeds. More troubling are the later denials by people not directly involved in the genocidal events but who appear to have ideological reasons for their denials.

But Michael Medved and Don Feder and give us some clear examples of genocide denial, in addition to labeling massacres as battles. Medved "Claim(s) that the deaths were inadvertent," while expressing ideological reasons.

http://www.bluecorncomics.com/...
By Michael Medved

Wednesday, September 19, 2007

Moreover, the real decimation of Indian populations had nothing to do with massacres or military actions, but rather stemmed from infectious diseases that white settlers brought with them at the time they first arrived in the New World.

- snip -

A nation ashamed of its past will fear its future.

Twelve Ways To Deny A Genocide
3. Claim that the deaths were inadvertent.

As a result of famine, migration, or disease, not because of willful murder.

Yes, 90% to 95% of villages were already depopulated because of disease, but that does not excuse the killers who exterminated the indigenous survivors.

In a different tone but still denying genocide, Feder " Rationalize(s) the deaths as the result of tribal conflict, coming to the victims out of the inevitability of their history of relationships." But Feder substitutes white encroachment for another tribe. He minimizes the Great Indian Holocaust, as Crow Dog calls it, as merely "every nation includes its share of invasions, dispossessions and injustices." Next, he supplies his own ideological reasons for denying the genocide as previously mentioned.

Pilgrims Pilloried in streets of Plymouth

Twelve Ways To Deny A Genocide
5. Rationalize the deaths as the result of tribal conflict, coming to the victims out of the inevitability of their history of relationships.

This was a witty rejoinder to my observation that the history of every nation includes its share of invasions, dispossessions and injustices.

- snip -

Plymouth protesters insist that America was a tragic mistake, our history is ignoble and the only valid reason for our continued existence is to provide racial reparations. Such attitudes, which dominate the councils of the elite, are the single greatest threat to our survival.

The extent to which a Nation denies the genocide it has committed is a measure of that Nation's social conscience. The social conscience of the dominant culture does not want to lose its power, so it restrains its own humanity with ideologies and anything that points the finger the other way.

http://www.facinghistory.org/r...Denial of genocide is the final stage of genocide. It is what Elie Wiesel has called a "double killing." Denial murders the dignity of the survivors and seeks to destroy remembrance of the crime. In a century plagued by genocide, we affirm the moral necessity of remembering.

But the real power the dominant culture loses is the power to be caring human beings. Much more needs to be researched and written about this topic.

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Recognizing Genocide Denial Against American Indians

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The extent to which a Nation denies the genocide it has committed is a measure of that Nation's social conscience. The social conscience of the United States is infected with numerous rationalizations that keep the dark light from shining. Federal and state institutions are named after mass murderers, and the land tells a story of massacres and atrocities that occurred.

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This article was written by Josh Aden and published on All Day. It’s directed at anyone who has any interest in Columbus day or may just be curious about the critical and less honorable view on the American idle, Christopher Columbus. This includes the idea of him discovering the new world, never setting foot in North America, oppressing of natives, and killing millions by spreading of disease. The importance of the article lies in its truth and relevance to the education and celebration of Columbus around America. On October ninth, children all across the United States are given the day off school in celebration of him, even with the knowledge of the atrocities committed. This is blatant denial of the truth and parallels Orwell’s use of the party’s denial of the past in order to keep control. This relates to the warning of believing false information, it can leave a population uninformed and ignorant.

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Reasons You Shouldn't Celebrate Columbus Day

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Every schoolchild knows that in Fourteen Hundred Ninety-Two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue. What most kids aren't taught though, is that Columbus' tragically cruel and bloody legacy is definitely not worthy celebration.

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This article is from the local news page of Tallassee, the capital of Florida.  This source highlights the incident that occurred on May 20th of this year, at Chiles High School and was written by a teacher, Stephanie Anne Smith. She reflects on an incident including high schoolers waving the confederate flag and yelling racial slurs while at school. While the article is directed to the general public, it has interest in the political and social communities, as it reflects on the aspects of history relating to these ideas, specifically, the confederate flag and the lack of education regarding its topic. According to the author, the flag wasn’t mentioned once in the American history textbook. While some may view it as a symbol of pride and heritage, students are uneducated about the emblem they wave so proudly. This includes the years of hate and discrimination it represents, along with the leaders of the confederate parties request to take it down. This dismissal of key information is pure denial of the institutionalized racism it represented, and has lead to events such as the ones written about in the article, including many students fearing to attend school as a result. These events are similar to the dismissal of history in Orwell’s 1984. Their constant rewriting of history in order to paint a false reality mirrors the disregard for the truth behind the confederate flag in Chiles High School. Orwell tried to warn us about the repercussions of these actions, and while there are different outcomes in 1984 and the situation at the school, both reflect negative outcomes along with instill fear in the people involved. Therefore, it’s important to be aware of the cause and effects of dismissing historical background.

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CLOSE

I'm disappointed this situation has developed among students I know and love, and am embarrassed about the racism it highlights.

In the spring, a handful of Chiles students displayed Confederate flags in the backs of their vehicles. After a student was caught on SnapChat waving the Confederate flag from the back of his truck Tuesday afternoon, with other students yelling racial slurs, the students were asked to remove the flags.

There are now two petitions circulating - one asking for the flags to be removed due to racist symbolism, the other asking for them to remain due to the students' right to free speech.

I'm disappointed this situation has developed among students I know and love, and am embarrassed about the racism it highlights. We are failing our kids if we let misconceptions about the Confederate flag fester in our schools.

I'm embarrassed to say I'd never flipped through the American history textbook my school uses until today.

The unit on the Civil War is about 30 pages. There is not a single blurb about the Confederate flag. It's not that the flag is being taught as a practical tool to distinguish between Union and Confederate soldiers. It's not even that it's being taught within the symbolic landscape post-Civil War as a celebration of Southern pride and fallen soldiers. Rather, it's not being taught at all.

There is no mention that Confederate leaders Robert E. Lee and Jefferson Davis both wanted the flag taken down. Quoting from Davis:

"My pride is that that flag shall not set between contending brothers; and that, when it shall no longer be the common flag of the country, it shall be folded up and laid away like a vesture no longer used."

Students are uneducated about the emblem they wave so proudly.
RELATED STORIES
It's no wonder the flag's more recent and harmful uses are being overlooked. And by more recent, I mean the 30 years following the Civil War where the "Stars and Bars" was raised as a rebellious statement on the war's outcomes. I mean the civil rights movement in which the KKK used it as a statement against black Americans. And I mean the outbreak of hate by Dylan Roof who used it as a statement for white supremacy against his slaughter of black church members in South Carolina in 2015.

In an email to parents, our principal wrote, "Earlier this evening, our administration received an anonymous notification of a potential threat to our campus tomorrow."

From which side the threat came is unclear. But it caused enough fear that out of 150 students, I had 29 show up.

When I drove on campus this morning, I counted five extra police vehicles. I'm grateful our administration takes threats seriously and I thank the officers for their service. But it was unnerving for all parties. I can't blame the students who decided they would sit today out.

The Civil War ended in 1865, so why is the topic of the Confederate flag still an issue?

Demographics of my students are predominantly white from privileged families. Many of their parents hold professional jobs. They go to church. They vote. They recycle. They are decent citizens who pay their taxes and believe in the power of education. They genuinely claim not to be racist. So I ask again, why is raising the Confederate flag still an issue?

The South's failure to abandon the expansion of slavery as an economic system is a hard fact to grapple with. The ties to the Confederate flag as the blazing emblem makes it part of the symbolic sphere of disparaging narratives about how racism was institutionalized.

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Students at Chiles High School replaced Confederate flags in the back of their pickup trucks with Donald Trump and GOP banners. (Photo: Jeff Burlew/Democrat)

Communicating the arguments about the flag clearly and precisely is paramount. Students have to confront their deeply ingrained white supremacist heritage.

Most probably don't know what they're doing - and some think it's funny. The students involved come from a deep well of generations of Southern good ol' boys, where the rebel flag is synonymous with patriotism and loyalty to their families - a celebration of identity. Because of how imbedded the flag is in their culture, seeing the other side's hurt will not come easily.

Yet we have to teach accurate history that doesn't sugarcoat the violence committed under this flag. If these students don't learn about the history from home, and they don't learn it from their schools, where will they learn it?

As a result, we have students who don't know how to participate in civil debate when confronted with opposing viewpoints. We're creating an environment where immaturity pressurizes into violence.

I heard an analogy today from a student in my first period: "Waving the Confederate flag is similar to the Germans waving a flag with a swastika."

Though the scope of the Germans and the Confederate army were vastly different, the process of indoctrination and promulgation of harmful ideologies is the same. We explicitly teach how harmful Nazi ideologies catalyzed the slaughter of 6 million Jews. We should be teaching similarly about our own nation.

More: Tallahassee no stranger to the Confederate flag

In my American Literature class, we read Southern Gothic regional authors such as William Faulkner and Flannery O'Connor. Prior to this, we read about the Harlem Renaissance of the 1930s with Zora Neale Hurston and Langston Hughes. The content of these units was geared towards understanding the roots of the United States and its cultural identity as it's changed through the decades.

But I guarantee, students will forget everything we read in light of the past few days. What will go down in their yearbooks are the names of their friends who signed petitions, flew flags, taped feminine products to vandalize trucks, and made racist slurs.

How can we help our student body heal their differences?

1. It's important to realize we are dealing with people on all fronts. Right or wrong, no one should be afraid to attend school.

2. Whatever students' intention, the Confederate flag represents a racist identity. There should be more direct teaching about this and other uncomfortable topics, so people understand the implications of their decisions.

3. The flag has value as a memento of a historical event. It should be viewed as such. It's appropriate for the Confederate flag to be in a museum, but not waved to incite racial tension under the guise of Southern pride on public school grounds.

4. Neither parties who created the online petitions have attempted civil discourse. There need to be safe conversations moderated by an objective third party. Compassion and a desire to understand should be ground rules.

5. Balancing First Amendment rights with all individuals is always challenging, but even more so at public school. Our school promotes liberty of expression, but not when it hinders education.

We need an intervention through direct teaching on subjects and open dialogue about real issues, even if they are difficult.

Students should have a positive place to explore their identities in a constructive way. They need to be able to leave the past in the past.
Stephanie Anne Smith has been teaching English Language Arts for three years at Lawton Chiles High School. She can be reached at stephaniesmith12k@gmail.com.
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CLOSE I'm disappointed this situation has developed among students I know and love, and am embarrassed about the racism it highlights. In the spring, a handful of Chiles students displayed Confederate flags in the backs of their vehicles.

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George Orwell’s dystopian setting is heavily focused on the fact that in Oceania’s society, history is constantly being rewritten. So much so that it seems to be the basis for Winston’s decision to rebel against the party. He becomes frustrated with his fuzzy memories, blurry past, and the control that the Party holds. This totalitarianism poses a extensive threat to reality, and he fears that one day there will be a point that nothing can be controlled. This is represented in the idea of 2+2=5 and shown in the conversation that Julia and Winston have about one feeling human. While the party can impose false information on its subjects, pose a threat to outsiders, and torture information out of traitors; their control is capped at confessions. Orwell claims, “They could lay down bare in the utmost detail everything that you had done or said or thought; but your inner heart, whose workings were mysterious even to yourself, remained impregnable” (167). This manipulation is tied to their control of reality and their justification of the control the party holds. Orwell is warning readers of staying human with all the untrue information that can people can be exposed to. Currently in society there is a parallel between the rewriting and denying of history and current events in order to influence others' beliefs. Denial and dismissal is the action of declaring something to be untrue or ignoring the actual facts. 1984 uses its setting and the Party to represent this threat in the real world.