Now most of you may recall I tend to take a more hard line view on crime and punishment. I was reading the story found here:

http://www.wsbtv.com/news/14243131/detail.html


when someone came in an started reading the story over my shoulder. His response was, "For God's sake--he has got to be over 80, and cannot have been more than a kid, when this all happened. Just let it go."

After he left I worked out that the former guard must have been in his late teens to early 20's and yes he is 85 now--does that excuse the crime? Should this man go unpunished because he was "just a kid" when his crimes occurred and he is "just an old man" now?

My reaction isn't as lenient-I think at the least he should be deported for entering the United States under false pretenses, then if Germany or Israel, or the World Court want to pursue him for war crimes-they can go for it. If the US want to do it that is fine as well--I just don't think even after all this time we should let this go unpunished.

I just don't know.

He had presumably been brainwashed by Hitler Youth and was very young at the time.
As a dog handler, he enabled atrocities to be carried out, but, presumably, did not commit any, himself.
He probably is no longer the person he then was. At 85, he may not have the ability to even remember.

But justice has to be seen to be done ~ and where should we draw the line ~ so maybe a trial is in order.

I'm just not sure where I stand on this one at present.

I guess statutes of limitation exist for a reason. I wonder whether one would apply here.

If this guy was a Nazi mastermind high up in the administration who was conceiving or running death camps then I'd really feel no pity and say justice should be done. If he was just a young soldier following orders, I don't see the point of going after him at age 85. Pretty close to an entire generation of Germans (and their collaborators) would have to be put behind bars. Lots of people who grow up in troubled times have dark skeletons in their closets. The soldiers from the winning side probably did some nasty things, too, but the winners aren't usually held to account. That's war, I guess.

I say let him go. There's no reason to pursue criminal charges against somebody who might die in the next couple years anyway.

And as far as I'm concerned, I see no reason for any former Nazi to be tried for crimes--keyword is "former."

I do think it was wrong of him to lie on immigration papers, but in 1955, who can blame him?

I am torn on this one. Some days I think--what possible difference can it make to prosecute him now. He is an old man-who has had to live for a very long time with his actions, and honestly there were thousands of other Germans who one way or another took part in the death camps-who have gone unpunished. Other days I think we need to prosecute--least we forget how horrible a time this was. I guess to me it ties in with proving the Holocaust occurred. If people are found guilty of those crimes in a court of law--the deniers have no sold grounds to denying it happened. I don't know if that makes sense!

Having checked out the link and also having a bit of experience on How the military ( Most Military organisation) operates I am left to wonder just how far people are taking this Nazi hunting.
Now, I am pretty sure Most military units work like this once you have finished your basic training you are posted to a unit, you have very little say In Which unit you get posted.
I don't see that the WW2 german army was any differant to that, be it the regular army or the SS.
Once you are posted to that unit you are assigned duties, If you do not carry out those duties then you are in trouble.
I am not a Nazi supporter, what they did was horrifying and Criminal, And THOSE IN CONTROL should be held accountable for the crimes committed
But the rank and file? Are we going to hold Hitler's gardener as equally responsible as Hilter?
Let's put this in another light
If a person was wrongly excuted in the States would they hold the prison Guards or warders responsible for his excution?

and while we keep banging on about the nazi war criminals, hopefully the world will forget about the war crimes of, say, the gulf wars or the falklands war. but then thats the idea. if what better place to hide a bogeyman than behind another bogeyman?

As the family of many survivors of the holocaust and many more that did not survive, I say that this man should be put to death. I didn't read the article, though. Heres an idea, spend more time on Darfur then on an elderly man that assisted in killing millions of people over 60 years ago. We can't help what he did, but we can stop whats happening now.

alas thats not the way of the world. its so much easier to deal with bogeymen from a bygone age thasn to get your hands dirty and actually sort out the world. i think nazi witch hunts like this are designed to distract from the fact that present day politicians are just as bad.