FW: Concerning Holocaust-denial

[jbor]

----------
From: kmcvay at veritas.nizkor.org (Ken McVay)
To: jbor <jbor at bigpond.com>
Subject: Re: Concerning Holocaust-denial
Date: Wed, Oct 4, 2000, 6:35 PM


You wrote:
>Dear Ken McVay

"Ken," please.

>Thanks very much for your reply. I guess I've always seen and heard the term
>in the context of the Jewish genocide, and considered it a mark of respect
>to retain a narrow, specific definition. In doing this I had not meant to
>deny that there were other victims, but felt it equally important to refer
>to these victims specifically as well: the Soviet POWs, Romany gypsies,
>communists and other political opponents, homosexuals, Slavs, and so forth.

I understand.

>I do baulk at the extension of the term to include the genocidal campaigns
>of the pre WW I Prussian colonialists in Africa, or the Russian pogroms, for
>example. I feel that stretching the term too far serves to diminish the
>specific horror and tragedy of the Shoah, and the specific tragedies and
>horrors which those other peoples experienced.

I tend to agree. It was what it was, and it was quite horrid enough
without embellishments.

>Would you mind if I forward your reply to the pynchon-list discussion?

No, not at all.