Guy blaming the Auschwitz Museum for the Holocaust pretty much sums up 2017

There are two stories here. Let’s start with the first one: This Tuesday, the Auschwitz Memorial condemned U.S. GOP Rep. Clay Higgins for posting a video of himself speaking inside a former gas chamber.

“Everyone has the right to personal reflections. However, inside a former gas chamber, there should be mournful silence,” the Memorial tweeted from its official account. “It’s not a stage.”

The video shows Higgins walking through the former Nazi concentration camp in Poland, talking about how the horrors of the Holocaust are a reminder of the “evils in this world.” In a subsequent tweet, the Memorial pointed out how Higgins’ video went against the requested respectful silence for the victims:

While the majority of replies were in support of the Memorial’s admonishment, it didn’t sit well with some, many of them Trump supporters, who chastised the Memorial for infringing on Higgins’ right to express himself. Upworthy‘s Parker Molloy captured a few screen shots:

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882705495374663680

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882705604426563584

Some seemed to suggest that the Museum’s call for respect and silence was an example of them ignoring their “own history.”

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882705784441901057

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882705860870393856

Some of the reactions were downright incoherent:

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882705980492066816

And there’s the guy who blamed the Auschwitz Memorial for the Holocaust:

https://twitter.com/ParkerMolloy/status/882706159047761920

This Wednesday, Higgins retracted the video, saying he “feels sorrow” that it “caused pain to some whom I love and respect.”

Featured image via Flickr

Sky Palma

Before launching DeadState back in 2012, Sky Palma has been blogging about politics, social issues and religion for over a decade. He lives in Los Angeles and also enjoys Brazilian jiu jitsu, chess, music and art.