The other exhibit that hit hard (well, they all did, but this one was notable to me) was the train car. You can walk around it or through it. I walked through and paused in the middle.
The plaque outside had said how many Jews were put in this car. I tried to imagine sticking that many people in the car, but I couldn’t. Then I realized my problem.
I was trying to put PEOPLE in the car.
Even though the “people” I was mentally putting in were imaginary, I was still treating them like people. If I switched to putting that many people shaped objects in the car, it became easy.
It was a huge lesson in the power of dehumanization.
It was gut wrenching.
The other exhibit that hit hard (well, they all did, but this one was notable to me) was the train car. You can walk around it or through it. I walked through and paused in the middle.
The plaque outside had said how many Jews were put in this car. I tried to imagine sticking that many people in the car, but I couldn’t. Then I realized my problem.
I was trying to put PEOPLE in the car.
Even though the “people” I was mentally putting in were imaginary, I was still treating them like people. If I switched to putting that many people shaped objects in the car, it became easy.
It was a huge lesson in the power of dehumanization.
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Brenda Romero made an experience called Train to visualize this and educate.