It's not any easier the 2nd time.

Well, this was Dachau day and it was intense. I was fortunate enough to visit it on my prior trip to Europe, so I knew what to expect. I was 16 then with no clue what I would end up doing in school or as a career, so the medical experiments impacted me on the same level as any other human being. However, that aspect of the atrocities hit me from a new angle this time; these experiments were perpetrated by people who had expressed interest in my chosen profession. One of the most critical aspects of medicine to me is the ethical behavior of its professionals. The things done to prisoners at Dachau and other such camps can be described as anything but ethical. What's even more shocking is that they found themselves justified. They carefully crafted defenses in court in order to explain how logical and humane they were being, though they themselves understood that they should not broadcast their actions publicly. I think that is tacit acknowledgment of the immorality of their actions.

I overheard someone asking a question about how people, the doctors and guards at the camps, could have been okay with what they were doing. Obviously, there hadn't been a mysterious increase in the proportion of psychopaths born in the population at the time, so that means that ordinary guys had been convinced that what they were doing was necessary and beneficial. That fact in particular scared me. The attempt the Nazis made was thwarted, thankfully, but I think we still need to be careful of similar campaigns to shape the human race or divide populations based on such factors. I always get most of my news from sources outside the US, but I think that attitude will only be strengthened now. Even in places today like South Africa, attempts to segregate or isolate populations should be inspected carefully and discriminatory practices should not be allowed. Heavy stuff.

On a lighter note, I am really enjoying Munich. The atmosphere seems a little different here, but I haven't spent enough time here to notice the true differences. We plan on going out to some bars tonight, and I hope to meet some locals and get to know some of their views over a beer, naturlich.