Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter with Nazi "Angel of Death" Mengele

Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter with Nazi "Angel of Death" Mengele

January 27, 2009

An 87-year-old Holocaust survivor spoke to a Second Life audience last week about her experiences with the horrors of Auschwitz during World War II, including an encounter with the dreaded "Angel of Death," Josef Mengele.

New World Notes reports on the appearance by Fanny Starr, who now lives in Colorado. Fanny spoke in SL via an avatar belonging to her daughter, Helen:

Helen's mother has made it her life's mission to recount her experiences to as many people as will listen.  Extending her voice to Second Life, Helen tells me, is just another venue to do so.

"I did not have to convince her, I just asked," Helen tells me. "SL technology can reach a broad base of people in a small atmosphere, something a RL classroom cannot achieve."  Then there's another consideration, for a woman on the cusp of 90: "[S]he can lecture from the comforts of her home versus the classrooms she has lectured in for the last 30 years..."

"The responses are amazing," Fanny's daughter Helen tells me, "but the emotions outweigh the comments."

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Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by MaskedPixelante - January 27, 2009 at 1:14 pm -0500

I wonder if Super Hitler was there.

---You are likely to be eaten by a Grue.

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by DeepThorn - January 27, 2009 at 1:41 pm -0500

Congrats! 

A. Getting someone edging onto her 90s using second life. (Blows my mind honestly.)
B. Getting out the message and story of such an important time of her life.
C. Being able to talk about it all, which some people just can not do after surviving something like that.

All on all, that is great, and I hope that her goals in doing this are met.

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Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Wolvenmoon - January 27, 2009 at 2:11 pm -0500

I'm so glad she's reaching this audience. I'm afraid we're to see the holocaust repeated in this coming generation or so, unless there's a major push to stomp out that kind of hate.

Suddam had 1.8 million butchered, other tyrants in the middle east are trying for that kind of stuff. Perhaps her efforts will raise sensitivity and we'll prevent history from repeating itself.

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Zevorick - January 27, 2009 at 2:14 pm -0500

I wish I could hear it on my speakers at work, but unfortuantely even at max volume it's a bit soft. I'll have to wait until I get home

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Arell - January 27, 2009 at 2:57 pm -0500

I'm glad she got her story out there for people to hear, but I'm going to continue to wonder why people keep treating SL like it's relevant.  If she wanted to share her experience, a youtube video with a viral campaign would have reached more people.  I mean, we mock politicians and businessmen for using SL.  Why is a holocaust surviver any different?

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Bennett Beeny - January 27, 2009 at 4:14 pm -0500

I agree.  Using Second Life rather than Youtube to tell her story is kinda like handing out leaflets to people walking by your house while ignoring the Public Access TV station next door.

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Shadow D. Darkman - January 27, 2009 at 3:01 pm -0500

Maybe we should introduce Elie Wiesel to Second Life. His story is one of the most touching Holocaust stories I've read.

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"Game on, brothers and sisters." -Leet Gamer Jargon

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Arcanagos - January 27, 2009 at 5:11 pm -0500

Agreed, I've read his book as well and it's one of the best accounts of that era I've seen

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Shadow D. Darkman - January 27, 2009 at 5:20 pm -0500

Which one? He's written loads of books. I read Night.

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"Game on, brothers and sisters." -Leet Gamer Jargon

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by Frank - January 28, 2009 at 12:56 am -0500

I also read that (given we went to the same High School this is hardly surprising).  One thing I like to do when I hear about someone either liking the nazis or wanting torepeat that crap they did I just remember the various german cities on fire due to round the clock bombing by various allied nations.  The message is clear, pull that kind of crap and we will annihilate you.

Re: Holocaust Survivor Visits Second Life, Tells of Encounter
Submitted by hayabusa75 - January 27, 2009 at 5:56 pm -0500

I couldn't finish the wiki article on Mengele.  I started feeling ill about halfway through the part on human experimentation.

"There is no sin except stupidity." - Oscar Wilde

GamePolitics ShoutBox

Posted 02/09/10 at 12:53pm
Valdearg: Lol, I don't know. It may very well be legal to do so. Though that might able to fall under the "race" restriction, depending on how that point is argued.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Valdearg: I don't think they do have any legal recourse. I'll have to dig around, but I seriously believe that if the law doesn't specifically mention Sexual Orientation or Gender Identity, they can still be discriminated against in those 29 states.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:51pm
Andrew Eisen: Eye color isn't covered either but I doubt it would be considered legal to refuse to hire people with green eyes.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:48pm
Andrew Eisen: My explanation is longer than the Shoutbox will allow. Suffice to say that while those who are discriminated against do have legal recourse, anti-discrimination law should specifically cite sexual orientation so that there’s no question about it.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:42pm
Valdearg: "There is no federal law that consistently protects LGBT individuals from employment discrimination; it remains legal in 29 states, and in 38 states to do so based on gender identity or expression." From the Human Rights Campaign.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:40pm
Valdearg: @AE: Why don't you think I'm correct? I know Wiki could be flawed, but as far as it says, its up to date as of June 2009.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:39pm
Andrew Eisen: I don't think you're right but I really don't know and don't have the time to find out. However things actually are, it's very clear how they actually should be.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:34pm
Valdearg: "just because there's no specific state level protection for it, doesn't make discrimination right or legal." I would disagree. If there's no laws against it, it makes it perfectly legal. It's definitely not right, but perfectly legal to do.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:33pm
Valdearg: Meaning in 29 states, private sector discrimination against gays is perfectly legal.. Sickening.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:33pm
Valdearg: 19 states have no protections, and another 10 only have protections for public sector jobs.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:32pm
Andrew Eisen: Well, most businesses have equal rights policies in place and just because there's no specific state level protection for it, doesn't make discrimination right or legal. Still, no argument against adding such protections.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:28pm
Valdearg: More information. Apparently, it's worse than I actually thought.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:28pm
Valdearg: Check the link. Apparently, its more like 20 states that have no protections.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:26pm
Andrew Eisen: In the US? Not that I'm aware of. Sad if true.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:25pm
Valdearg: @AE: Actually, I think, at least for now, businesses can still discriminate against gays in a few states.. Something like 5 or 8. Its part of why Gay Rights Advocates are in support of the Employee Nondiscrimination Act, or ENDA.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:22pm
Valdearg: @AE: And that's fine. Official "Church" functions are fine, despite the fact that it's discrimination, it's what I guess I would consider "acceptable" discrimination, despite the fact that I hate to use "acceptable" to define it.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:21pm
Valdearg: What's stopping someone from working with the church to declare a Catholic Corporation, that would retain it's "right" to discriminate against non-Catholics?
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:20pm
Valdearg: Let me ask you this. What defines something as "catholic"? There are Catholic Schools, Churchs, Charities, and even law firms.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:20pm
Andrew Eisen: Indeed. You can restrict the membership of your private club however you see fit. However, a business can't refuse to hire someone based on sexual orientation.
Posted 02/09/10 at 12:20pm
gellymatos: Would you hire someone against gay rights for a position of leadership in a gay rights advocacy group?
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