WHY ARE PROTESTER WEARING THE YELLOW STAR?
Over the weekend there has been a lot written and talked about the wearing of the yellow star by protesters both in Germany, London and here at home. In Germany some protesters replaced the word “Jude” (Jew) with the phrase “ungeimpft” (unvaccinated). The outrage Jewish people feel centres around the belief that protesters are equating their struggle with the restrictions enforced by governments across the world in relation to covid, with the horrors that the Jewish people experienced during the Holocaust.
There is absolutely no comparison to be made to the suffering inflicted upon the Jewish people. However, I think ‘the why’ protesters are wearing the yellow star is completely missed and I don’t believe those wearing the star meant to upset or offend anyone who is a survivor or victim of the holocaust.
The comparisons drawn are in fact to do with the slow erosion of our civil rights and the way governments have carried out the destruction of our democracy. The wearing of the yellow star forced upon the Jewish people and the subsequent dehumanising of them by marking them as different, feels frighteningly close for those of us who have chosen not to take the vaccine for whatever personal reason each individual has. The ability of the government through sustained fear, coercion, and the slow removal of our rights to participate in society is frightening. But what’s even more frightening is how they have turned family members, friends and communities against each other because of the choices they make. Encouraging people to inform/report on their neighbour is something that will probably never be forgotten or healed.
This level of control can only happen with the consent/cooperation of the people, and just like with the holocaust, the big questions people continue to struggle with is not Hitler being a monster, but why did the German people cooperate and carry out his orders without question.
This pandemic has demonstrated how close we are to repeating history. Not only have the government traumatised whole communities, but they have in fact managed to make people afraid of each other. To believe that we are a threat to one another and to be avoided at all costs. It also pushes the belief that if you choose not to get vaccinated for whatever reason, you are then marked as different and to those of us on that path it feels very like they are in the process of dehumanising us through the measures they are taking with no resistance. Through name calling, using terms like ‘unvaccinated’, anti-vaccers’ fringe groups’ conspiracy theorists’ basically people out to cause destruction. Not people fighting for their right to live freely and without fear.
It is this very process that has people using the yellow star, more to make people really see what’s happening around them, than to offend or make comparisons to the holocaust. But if you look at the stages that have occurred for us to arrive were we are today, to be in the place where we are pitted one against the other, were there is control over the source of your information, they wish to control were you go, whom you mix with, you are no longer entitled to ask questions of those that are making decisions in your name, this is the comparisons people are making to the yellow star.
Not one government has condemned what’s happening in Austria, Australia, and Germany. NOT ONE’ The removal of people from their homes and shipped off to government facilities is something that is HAPPENING TODAY, the removal of children and vaccinating them without the consent or approval of their parents, is HAPPENING TODAY, the segregation of people and preventing them from being able to participate in society is HAPPENING TODAY, and far worse that we are not hearing about because the Media who in my opinion are even more responsible because they are peddling the fear and making a lot of money in the process. If this is happening today and people are not speaking out against it, what are we to think about the world we live in. Who’s in control and are those making decisions doing it for the good of the people or is there another reason. Are those making the rules feeling the hurt like the rest of us or are they profiting from the decisions they make.
The below chart just might explain why the media are only reporting on the government narrative.
We may not agree with the choices of others but, we should at least try to understand the why of those choices. Maybe then we can become a more compassionate society that looks out for one another and stops living in fear.
Paula Kavanagh
