

The next photo is the PROMPT. Remember, all photos are property of the photographer, donated for use in Friday Fictioneers only. They shouldn’t be used for any other purpose without express permission. It is proper etiquette to give the contributor credit.

A little preface for my story this week. I am an American and proud to be one. However, our history isn’t always pretty and erasing it won’t change it. It only makes it easier to repeat it. Nuff said. I give you:
Genre: Historical Fact
Word Count: 100
AMERICAN ICON
My father dubbed my VW Beetle the Nazi-mobile. How could I, a Jew, drive a German car? But, what about the automobile named for its inventor—fine, upstanding American Henry Ford?
From 1918 to 1926, in his newspaper the Dearborn Independent he blamed the Jews for the ills of the world. His prolific comments, targeting Jews and “inferior” blacks earned him the honor of being mentioned in Mein Kampf.
“You can tell Herr Ford that I am a great admirer of his,” said Hitler. “I shall do my best to put his theories into practice in Germany.”
God bless America.


There is much in history that makes us feel ashamed.
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Dear Sadje,
It disturbs me that some are trying to erase history. Dark though it might be, we need to remember it so we don’t repeat it. Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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You’re welcome Rochelle. I feel that the society is going backwards. I hope this stops before they do permanent damage
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I’m in agreement with you, Sadje. I do worry.
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🧐
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I agree. I don’t know where they think the truth is going to go. Just erase it and it won’t exist? I guess by the time stories change and the past is gone I will be long gone too but I believe in celebrating our past and learning from our mistakes.
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Dear Christine,
Erasing history is most definitely not the answer. It only opens the door to repeating it. Thank you for weighing in on a heavy issue.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Wow. We live in difficult times when to speak truth is to be targeted, washed away by the brush of erasure. Good on you for speaking.
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Dear Trish,
So true. I’m disturbed by the current “trend” to whitewash history so we don’t have to feel bad. We only set the stage for history to repeat itself. Thank you for your validating comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Interesting piece, Rochelle. It’s not uncommon for national heroes to have a dark side that’s airbrushed out, is it. Our own Winston Churchill was the first to gas the Kurds.
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Dear Neil,
I didn’t know that about Churchill either. Thank you for reading and commenting.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Not the only corporations to be stained by their history. Quite a few have very shady pasts, and seem to have prospered nonetheless.
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Dear Iain,
My husband loves his Ford truck. 😉 But it does make me shudder to learn who the inventor really was. Thank you for your drive-by comment. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I had no idea. I have a Ford Focus, but I will probably go back to a subcompact Hyundai after this, because I want a smaller car and Ford is not great about its small cars. I do feel like that whole issue, bigger/smaller more/less fuel efficient is such an American thing. I’ve thought that even before I found out this about Ford and before owning one and finding out how little they care about their “low-end” vehicles compared to other manufacturers. It is an interesting fact. Not making that mistake again. There is so much multi-layered truth here. Thanks for sharing.
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Dear Anne,
My husband drives a humongous Ford truck. He loves it. But I have to laugh. At one time I owned a Ford Escort station wagon. I swear it was embodiment of Fix Or Repair Daily or Found On Road Dead. So now I think of it as another Nazi-moblie like my VW. They both knew there was a Jew at the wheel. 😉
At any rate, I couldn’t not share this story. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ugh, I know! It’s not quite that bad, but it definitely has had a lot of problems. LOL at “Found On Road Dead.” It’s not even ten years old and I’ve had to replace the transmission, the on-board computer, and the internal electronics still gets wacky now and again. Upon research, it isn’t just me, the vast majority of this make/model are like that. So, I don’t think the car is out to get me personally. Although, I do espouse certain liberal ideologies and did slap on Biden-Harris sticker on the dash, so it might be a little angry at me about that. LOL.
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I make jokes about my former VW and Ford, but I’m not sure I’d ascribe emotion to inanimate objects. 😉 There is such thing as a car being a lemon. My husband says my Chevy Cruz falls into that category. Although, I did research on the 1985 Escort and it had many problems. We did have to replace the transmission on that POS.
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Was not aware about Henry Ford’s comments.
Amazing how similar thinking binds people and earns them mention in books! “Birds of a feather flock together.”
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Dear Anita,
In this case, Birds of a Sinister Feather.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Few of those big names of the past are unstained, but some are worse than others… I have heard unflattering things about Ford, but not this. We cannot work to improve our country if we do not recognize where we have been and has been said and done. Good story.
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Dear Trent,
I’d heard Ford was an antisemite but it’s only been recently I’ve learned to what degree. No. We shouldn’t forget history, which I fear is going on here in the USA. Thank you for your validating comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Dear Rochelle,
I have always known that Henry Ford was Anti-Semitic but I didn’t know that he was also racist, although that doesn’t surprise me. Apparently, Hugo Boss joined the Nazi party in 1931 and made their uniforms.
It angers and saddens me when people deny the Holocaust or as you said, try to “whitewash history”. Thanks for sharing this. I don’t drive but if I did, I would never drive a Ford. And you will never find me in a Hugo Boss store.
Shalom,
Adele
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Dear Adele,
I’m not familiar with Hugo Boss. Apparently we don’t have any stores here in KC. I’ll be looking him up.
I’d known Ford was antisemitic but didn’t know, until recently, to what degree.
I believe we’re headed for serious trouble in trying to whitewash history.
Thank you so much for your validating and encouraging comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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History sadly is full of disturbed and misguided individuals, the more that they are called out, the better
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Dear Michael,
History mustn’t be cancelled. How else can we learn from it? Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Shamefully truthful. One of the reasons why I don’t like FORDS… that and it’s constantly in the shop. That said, I’m sure that if we really looked into the lives of the people who founded this land, and it’s industries, we might find ourselves rightfully ashamed of that history. It’s also one of the reasons I do not carry my husband’s last name. I do not wish to be party to that ancestry. However, that does not define who my hubby is. Great story this week. I hope I can write something up. Starting a new job today.
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Dear Bear,
It’s my hope that not all founders are like Ford. However whitewashing history to make it less disturbing is the worst thing we can do IMHO. Thank you for your validating comments. I wondered if I’d get some backlash. However, the day’s not over, is it?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I never much thought about it until I married and Mr. F. (dad) brought up the subject about Volkswagons…. I had always thought them to be good, dependable vehicles. We had a little bug for many years in my early childhood. Anyway, after he spoke of it, I did some research and was apalled! Shalom, Bear
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Until you informed me, I had no idea that Ford was racist. After all he did that was good, he certainly lowered himself in my eyes. Thanks for the education. Well done.
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Dear Jan,
It’s disheartening to know what kind of a man Ford really was. I really think my Escort, like my Beetle was a Nazi on four wheels. What do you think?
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Some interesting history. Good story, Rochelle
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Dear Mason,
May we never forget history with all of its ugly warts. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s funny that the impetus is on remembering, when in truth all the vetrensd would rather never hear of any of it again. Thst said this bit of warty history is a fun bit.
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Ford has certainly lost his luster with many who know where he stood. Another American icon who has some tarnish on him is Charles Lindberg, who was thought to be sympathetic to the Nazis. It always seems ironic to me that people who have benefitted so much from free enterprise and capitalism can be guilty of such hatred and enmity to those who support them.
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Dear Linda,
I’ve heard about Charles Lindberg, too. I really don’t understand why the Jews are so maligned. (well actually I do. 😉 ) Thank you for your validating comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Even Shakespeare made no secret of his hatred for the Jews. It was common and accepted in his day. In his play “The Merchant of Venice,” the Jewish moneylender is described in most unpleasant terms, as the major antagonist of the play. He is defeated and converted to Christianity at the end, but I find that a little difficult to accept. In his situation, to refuse would have probably been a death sentence.
Sorry. I was an English teacher for a long time 🙂 Literature is my jam 🙂
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I’m afraid I’m not well-versed when it comes to Shakespeare. I never knew the outcome of “The Merchant of Venice.” Thank you for filling me in, Linda. Never apologize for being an English teacher. 😉
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You’re right. I shouldn’t. Just–not everyone enjoys an impromptu literature class 🙂
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Dear Rochelle,
We are constantly learning through your stories. I had no idea (then again, it never occurred to me to look into stuff like this). Makes me feel bad about having a Ford, now!
And you are right. They have to stop trying to whitewash history. Rather than pull down statues, put them in one place with big placards explaining what they did and why we cannot honour them but that they remain to remind us…)
Shalom and lotsa thoughtful love,
Dale
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Dear Dale,
I’m not trying to lay a guilt trip on Ford owners. As I mentioned on your story, we have a Ford F150. Jan’s pride and joy. It’s wonderful for schlepping my stuff from fair to fair.
Although I’m pretty sure my 1985 Escort Wagon, like my 1971 Beetle, was a Nazi on four wheels and knew I was a Jew. 😉
I’m with you on the history thing and about the statues. We shouldn’t forget. Put the statues in museums with placards explaining who they were and why they shouldn’t be honored. I’ve been saying that for some time now. GMTA.
Shalom and lotsa free-wheeling hugs,
Rochelle
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Oh, I know you aren’t. And hey. Our guys made (make) good use of it.
And, it’s funny, Mick did have an Escort at one time that didn’t last long…
We are pretty smart, if I say so myself 🙂
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Dear Illa Cheatum W(T)F,
I can see why you wanted a Volkswagen, much easier to see through the steering wheel. Now, I also know why my ’48 Ford pickup wants to run blacks and Jews off the road. Evidently, the racial hate goes in before the name goes on.
I trust your art sales at the winery proved intoxicating. (hiccup).
Rick “The Prick” Henderson, Attorney at Law
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Dear Rick,
Thank you for taking the time from ambulance chasing to comment on my story. I’ll be sure to stay out of the path your ’48 Ford pickup.
Art sales weren’t bad. 😉 And I’ll admit to sampling some of the winery’s wares. Got a tad tipsy.
Shalom,
Illa Cheatum W(T)F
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I knew that about Ford. Unfortunately, improved automobiles and assembly lines, came with a heaping side of xenophobia, antisemitism, racism, and general dicketry. People are generally human, not all good or bad. If we waited for only perfect human beings to invent, create, make art, contribute… we wouldn’t have fire, much less combustion engines.
We have an obsession, especially lately, with focusing on the negative aspects of everyone, then trying to remove them from history. As George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” We have to accept our past, come to terms with it, and work on improving as individuals, then as a species.
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Dear Nobbin,
You make some good points. Personally I’m glad that Ford’s antisemitism didn’t catch on here the way it did in Germany.
We are living in a crazy world, aren’t we? I agree with you about accepting our past and coming to terms with it and improve.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
Shalom and pet a puppy for me,
Rochelle
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Querida Rochelle,
YIKES … a BIG LESSSON learned here today. Ford is like an icon in the town of Fort Meyers, an hour south from me. His summer homes is there which is now a museum with all the fixings. There’s even a restaurant with a ford car hanging from the ceiling. Aahhh … Dios Mio. Well . I’m beginning to think there aren’t many people who don’t have a bit of creepiness in their background. Enjoy the rest of the week safely …
Abrazos y Carino,
Isadora 😎
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Querida Isadora,
There is so much evil in the world. Fortunately there are good people, too. A friend of mine used to say “We all have our flat sides.” Ford had more than a flat side, didn’t he?
Shalom y abrazos,
Rochelle
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I hope we all come out of this new pandemic with a more compassionate feel for our fellow man. Abrazos y Carino 💜💜
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It doesn’t surprise me about Ford. I also remember reading where Joe Kennedy was a Nazi sympathizer or collaborator (sorry can’t remember which.) It doesn’t mean your dad was wrong about your Volkswagon!
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Dear Lisa,
I think Kennedy was a sympathizer.
Oh I’m pretty sure my VW was a Nazi on wheels as was my 1985 Ford Escort wagon years later. Both should’ve been painted yellow. 😉
Thank you for your comments. Oy history.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Rochelle you are very welcome.
Shalom,
Lisa
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there is so much in the history that we don’t know
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True story, Arora. And we learn more all the time, don’t we?
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hey Rochelle,
Nice one but I still envy those with VW busses, Bukowski drove a VW bug.
Gawd! The list of disappointments is so long.. I learned about Ford years ago, Lindberg, too. The dark side of humanity seems endless. Genocide is our most honed skill. But anyway….
Peace,
Bill
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Cello Bill,
Or what about Arlo Guthrie in the red VW microbus with shovels and rakes and implements of destruction to pick up the garbage in the snow. (Careful, I’ve had whole sections of it memorized since I was 16).
What is with humans and genocide. Why are some more equal than others? I don’t understand…nor do I want to.
No one gets out alive, do they?
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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My Dearest Rochelle,
You made me listen to all 18 minutes (been too long). I can tell you that I have certainly been “…injected, inspected, detected, infected, Neglected and selected….” More than once.
I also had a 1971, red/white VW bus and I wish I still did.
I think they can do it, not being more equal, but more human, which I find ironic as hell.
Thank you back (still smiling here).
Peace,
Bill (who will be hearing Alice’s Restaurant playing in his ear for the next three days).
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🤣🤣🖖🏻💜
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Really. 🙂
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A concisely damning 100 words on the dark side of Henry Ford.
The dark side showed itself even in his engineering. In the early days of Ford cars, they collected data on how the cars broke down. There was one part that never failed. Henry Ford promptly sourced an inferior component at a lower price so the cars were even more profitable (but broke down more).
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Dear Penny,
I had a 1985 Ford Escort wagon in the early 90’s. It was a LEMON and now I think a Nazi on four wheels and knew I was a Jew. Talk about inferior. It embodied the anachronisms “Fix or Repair Daily” or “Found on Road Dead.”
Thank you for your drive-by comments. 😀
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I must confess I wasn’t aware of Henry Ford’s antisemitism. There are many we know about but probably more we don’t. Another very informative piece, Rochelle.
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Dear Keith,
No doubt there’s a history that’s been swept under the rug for centuries. Thank you for your validating comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Unless slave labour is involved, choosing an inanimate object by the politics of its inventor is a minefield. My inlaws refused to buy German goods – until they fell for a German car!
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Dear Liz,
My point in writing this story has nothing to do with boycotting the product. My husband drives a Ford truck. We love it. My first car was a VW Beetle.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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It’s so important to avoid easy, over-simplified accounts of the past and of public figures from the past, and present. We all want our heroes to be blemish-free I guess, but nobody is, as I’m sure we all know. It’s also important to take a stand about important issues whenever we can, and using our buying power is one way we can do that. Your story’s really got me thinking, Rochelle. Well told. And btw the green VW with the frog legs is exactly the colour of a VW we owned many years ago. It was called ‘grasshopper green’ however, not frog green.
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Dear Margaret,
Oversimplifying history is never my reason for writing a story. Of course no one is blemish free. However Henry Ford had more than a dark side…he had a dangerous side. Antisemitism is on the rise and people like him can influence others into a frenzy. For him to have been noticed by Hitler speaks volumes to me.
Having said that, my husband drives a Ford truck and my first car was a VW Beetle. To carry a grudge against the whole of Germany today would be absurd.
My Beetle was royal blue. 😉
Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Hi Rochelle. I feel I need to clarify my comment here. I didn’t intend to suggest that you were over-simplifying history. On the contrary – I meant there is a tendency for people generally to do that, especially when it comes to learning about the lesser known, ugly side of certain ‘esteemed’ individuals – your story, and all your work, exposes this superbly. And I should correct my word choice; I recognise ‘blemish’ and ‘dark’ are too bland here. Such people are dangerous, as you say. So you’ve got me thinking even more, and that’s always a good thing.
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Ah, thank you for clarifying, Margaret. Gotcha.
Shalom and have a great weekend
Rochelle
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hmmm… there’s more about ford than i have realized. thanks for sharing.
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Dear Plaridel,
There’s so much about history none of us realizes. Thank you.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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We are always told that we must learn from the failures of history, but listening to many of our politicians and world leaders (as reported in the press) there is only lip service to the evils their words unleash on the innocent people even today.
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Dear James,
There is a growing faction who still believe the lies Ford and Hitler spewed. Holocaust deniers who say the Jews staged the whole thing. People who believe that the Jews are plotting to take over the world and behead all the Christians. You can find these whack jobs across the internet. Their numbers are increasing and it scares me.
The sad thing is that we don’t seem to be learning much from history’s failures.
Thank you for reading and taking the time to comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Looking intio the rear view mirror makes for better viewing through the windshield. Unfortunately, umpteen ‘leaders’ rarely get this simple fact straight! Great story, Rochelle.
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Dear Neel,
Thank you for your comments and understanding.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Yikes, I never knew that 😮
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So much history isn’t known. Thank you for your drive-by read, Ali.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Geez… history is not kind, nor should it be. If only we would not repeat the past. I was watching a special on psychopaths in history…and some of the things they said and did 👀 so familiar unfortunately
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Dear Laurie,
Nor should history be forgotten. There’s always a psychopath waiting in the wings, isn’t there. Thank you for your validating comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Ugh, I really dislike when people who could have had a positive impact on the public choose to be narrow minded. I truly don’t understand the promotion of hate. I hope one day we, the human race, can learn to embrace what it means to love your neighbor. All people regardless of the shade of their skin, their ethnicity, their religion, or anything else that makes one person different than another, deserve to be respected and loved the same way we ourselves want to be respected and loved. Thank you for writing this.
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Dear Kirstena,
I’m with you. I don’t understand the hatred or the promotion there of. It boggles my mind that such hatemongers can be in prominent positions, spreading their vicious lies. If only we could see how alike we are as a human race rather than draw battle lines between us. Thank you for coming by to read and leave such a validating comment.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Oh my, where to start. All big companies, it seems, are entwined in dark and dirty machinations one way or another. VW was a Nazi firm, but also ‘saved’ by a british major after the war. I always loved the Beetle, my grandpa had one and I drove one for a few years in my youth. My first car was a Ford, ironically.
I didn’t know that Ford was an antisemite. They seem to be everywhere. An unholy entanglement of antisemitism, racism, colonialism in so many places and these days the rats feel strong again and come out of hiding. One of the few good things about social networks, I think, is the fact that governments might want to rewrite history but those who are willing to look beyond their borders can learn otherwise. Unless the can’t access them any longer.
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Dear Gabi,
My first car was a VW Beetle. It fit me just right but had so many mechanical problems. Then there was my Ford Escort. I’ve made jokes about both of them but I don’t think it had anything to with their companies’ beginnings.
Those rats are rearing their ugly heads everywhere. We can only hope that history won’t be erased.
Thank you for your comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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A shocking account, Rochelle, and I’m so glad you chose to write it. There is much in history that needs to be told and retold. There is so much hypocrisy too, it drives me nuts the way one human being can dismiss another with a lot of ignorant claptrap nonsense. The more information we have the better, that and socialising in whatever way we can with the entire world.
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Dear Jilly,
We don’t live in a perfect world, that’s for sure. However, there are those who aren’t just dark, but dangerous. It gives me the chills to think that Henry Ford garnered Hitler’s admiration.
Antisemitism as well as bigotry are on the rise.
Thank you for your validating comments.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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I’m back again after eons, Rochelle. Aloha! 🙂
Thanks for sharing this grim, yet eye-opener of a story. As always you bowl us over with these historical anecdotes you dig up for us.
Added my link too.
Have a wonderful week ahead.
Slainte!
🙂
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Dear Natasha,
It’s great to see you back!
Thank you for such a validating comment. 😀 It means a lot.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Always a pleasure to be here.
Thank you to you, our hostess with the mostest. ♥️🤗
Happy Galentine’s 🌸
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Happy to be back dear Rochelle and read all the lovely writing. 🙂
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So much truth to this, and put it so succinctly. Those who erase history are doomed to repeat it.
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Dear Damyanti,
The perfect comment for my motive in telling. Thank you so much.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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History and the corporate world are too complicated. Each organization has a checkered past.
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Dear Larry,
Checkered is one thing…
Shalom,
Rochelle
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