[meteorite-list] re: OT Hitler Autograph disguised as, meteorite coin

[Marco Langbroek]

 > 3th in Germany on ebay write iìon
 > search Adolf Hitler and take a look what exit, where
 > its forbidden???
 >
 > Matteo

Its forbidden by law in Germany Matteo, just as here in Holland its forbidden to 
sell "Mein Kampf" by law. You can get it "under the counter" but anyone offering 
it in public risks confiscation and juridical prosecution. If anyone would make 
a complaint to German justice about the items you found on German eBay, these 
dealers would be in big trouble. So don't use them to justify yourself.

In itself there is nothing wrong with an HISTORICAL interest in such items, and 
not everybody collecting these kind of items is necesarily a Neo-Nazi or 
Fascist. Sadly enough however, still many of the buyers are all too ignorant of 
history, and buy it for reasons of veneration.

The question now is, whether YOU are ignorant of history, Matteo, and of these 
connotations and sensitivities. As you come from a former Axis country, you 
should be carefull (please note: I do not say that you and/or civilians from 
former Axis countries are all still worshipping Fascism. I do say, that 
civilians from former Axis countries should be very sensitive to their context 
of history and the impression their acts make on outsiders, including civilians 
from countries that were occupied by the Axis. That is the burden of being born 
there, I am sorry). Do you want to portray yourself as a person with ethics and 
a sense of what is appropriate, or do you just want to make unscrupulous money? 
Its a bit the same as weapons trade. There is a market for it, allright, that in 
some contexts is fully legal, in others isn't. But does this justify being 
active in that market?

I take some offence to the fact that you tried to defend yourself by pointing to 
Stalin. I fully agree that Stalin was a mass-murderer too. So was Pol Pot, or 
Mao, or Bokassa, or Idi Amin. But that does not make Adolph Hitler more acceptable.

I leave it with this as this does not belong on this list proper. But you should 
be more sensitive Matteo, to the connotations of what you offer for sale, and if 
that attracts critique, that is the result of the choices you made yourself. And 
you, only you, are responsible for that. It are YOUR choices.

- Marco

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Dr Marco Langbroek
Dutch Meteor Society (DMS)

e-mail: meteorites at dmsweb.org
private website http://home.wanadoo.nl/marco.langbroek
DMS website http://www.dmsweb.org
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