June 2004

We're right in the middle of Euro2004, the European Soccer Championship.
The Dutch team was in a group together with Latvia, Czech Republic and ... Germany.
For some reason there's always some kind of a hostile charge in the matches between the Dutch and German team. There are several reasons given for this, one is the defeat the Dutch team suffered in the 1974 World championship final. But the biggest reason given is apparently inevitably World War II.
Around this time I've had several discussions with people who claim to "hate" the Germans and it'll be good to kick some major ass. And when I ask for the reason of their "hate" for the Germans, they mainly refer to what happened in World War II. And I even heard quotes from some players of the Dutch team, who feel the same hatred towards the Germans.
Now there's something that I don't understand.
Imagine me, when I write this, 30 years old, born approximately 30 years after the end of World War II. And imagine me talking to this specific person, whom I know is under 20 years old, born over 40 years after the end of World War II. And imagine the players of the Dutch team, varying in age, but all under 35, so born at least 25 years after the end of World War II. I assume that the players of the German team are about the same age, maybe a tad bit older, but the same issue goes here.
They never had anything to do with what happened in the war. Nor did their parents. The parents might've been born just before or in the war, but they haven't consciously witnessed it.
How can you hate people that have never done anything to you? How can you have a grudge against people's ancestors, of at least two generations back, for what might've been done to your ancestors whom you don't even know?
Sure! There still are some bad Germans. But what about the bad Dutch people? They're there, too. Do you hate them, too? Hatred is not in the genes, you know. It's not passed on with birth. It's taught!
But do we, today's generation, the generation of intelligence, not have enough knowledge, not enough brain, not enough ability to see things in the right proportions?
Our generation, in a lot of cases even our parents' generation, have no reason to hate them for what they did to our ancestors in World War II. Our fellow Germans of the same generations have nothing to do with that anymore. They can't help it. They can't possibly be held responsible for what their ancestors did. Be real and open your eyes! They are probably as ashamed about it as we would be angry about it.
Of course... There was a big fat grin of satisfaction on my face when I heard the Czechs beat the German team and that the Dutch team got the benefit from that. But that doesn't mean I hate the Germans. A healthy bit of rivalry is good for sports. Makes it attractive to look at. Hatred makes sport look ugly.

And you know what? If all those people who keep on hating other people, because they don't have the ability to step out of the past and live from the present into the future, this world will never be at peace. There will always be a reason to fight a war somewhere...
Sad, sad, sad...