Commending Countries and Organizations for Marking 60th Anniversary of Liberation of Auschwitz

COMMENDING COUNTRIES AND ORGANIZATIONS FOR MARKING 60TH ANNIVERSARY OF LIBERATION OF AUSCHWITZ -- (House of Representatives - January 25, 2005)

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Ms. WASSERMAN SCHULTZ. Madam Speaker, Libusa Breder, a Jewish prisoner, said, ``There was no God in Auschwitz. There were such horrible conditions that God decided not to go there.''

With the passage of time, it has become more difficult for my generation to grasp what happened 60 years ago. The contributions and courage of the Greatest Generation enabled my generation of Americans to grow up in peace and be the first generation in decades to live without facing conscription.

In Auschwitz, at least 1.5 million innocent people suffered unfathomable pain and ultimate death. They were from many different nations, over 90 percent of them Jews. South Florida, where I am from, is home to the second largest population of Holocaust survivors in North America, the majority of whom live in my home county of Broward.
The concept of ``never again'' was instilled in me for my entire life. Unfortunately, in recent times, we have had vicious criminal acts against humanity, and we must remember that we must stay vigilant and not let the passage of time weaken our resolve. We are all proud of the Greatest Generation; but with today's resolution and the anniversary approaching, we focus on the Lost Generation.

It is our solemn responsibility to make sure that these lost souls did not die in vain. We must never forget what happened to them, and we must use the lessons of Auschwitz to stop modern-day atrocities such as the ethnic cleansing in Sudan. History can and will repeat itself unless we stand in the way and fight against evil.

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