by David Villa

Created on: May 30, 2008

Why? That would be my lead in question. Not what you would call a deep, well constructed piece of journalism, but for the person I have in mind, it is the most important one of all. It is almost a fruitless question bearing in mind that history has told and retold the story numerous times. I would, however, like to hear a first person account of why Adolph Hitler would so callously destroy the lives of millions of people.

I assume he would jump right into his party line. After about two minutes of his ramblings on the superior race and eliminating those with physical and developmental disabilities, I would enlighten him on what has happened since his demise. One of the first references would be Stephen Hawking. This is a brilliant man, who despite his debilitating disease was able to earn his Ph.D. His primary field of research now is theoretical physics. He has lost all control of his arms and legs, yet he continues to do research and lecture extensively all over the world. Under the ideology of Hitler, Stephen Hawking would not exist. Why?

The world would not be the same without the many accomplishments of Jewish people. I would hit him over the head with the worldwide, not just Jewish, acceptance and praise heaped on the numerous Jewish Authors, Artists, Musicians, Doctors, Scientists, Inventors, etc. I would read him the stories of Holocaust survivors and their families; stories that show the unending human spirit that triumphs in the face of horrendous evil. I would remind him of how he felt after his own mother died. I would recount his failures in school and as an artist and ask how one who is so superior could have such great failure. I would point out that his mustache looks ridiculous. I would ask or say as much as I could during that hour to make him feel uncomfortable.

The goal of this exercise would not really be to get answers. What he could provide would most likely only make me more annoyed. The goal is to watch him squirm. Interviewing one of the most evil people in history might not be the most productive way to spend an hour when there are a vast number of those who chose to do great, positive things during their time on the earth, but, it's my hour. Unlike millions of others during Hitler's time, I have the freedom to make that choice. The nature of this topic is mostly a selfish one. There are those who seek answers from ones departed. Others who want to revel in the glory of one of their lifelong heroes. If I could, for even just one minute out of the hour, make Hitler feel some form of remorse or just flat out miserable, I would consider it an hour well spent.

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