Sal's Reflections

“The Cross or the Swastika” will be launched in September and the publishing process has been seamless and working with my publisher and the editor has been a marvelous experience. Coupled with the launch is the ongoing scheduling of appearances and events across the country. There are many dates still to be firmed up but please let me know if you wish me to come to your area. The schedule now looks to focus January and February in Florida and California. The fall will primarily find me on the east coast. Thanks again to all of the members of the “street Team”.It is all possible because of your efforts and devotion.

Salvatore J. Tagliareni

2 seconds ago near Washington, DC

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The Holocaust did not happen overnight but rather was a series of events began with merely words. The initial bigoted words were not new to the Jewish community but soon the words became acts of exclusion, and then the abolition of civil rights. This framework escalated into violence and ultimately there were over forty thousand places where Jews were abused, tortured and murdered. Despite these horrors. many if not most in Germany and other countries were silent. Neighbors looked the other way and because of fear, jealousy or hatred did nothing. Governments and even some of the most powerful religious voices in the world did little to protect the innocent. The Holocaust is not a standalone event in a particular period of time, and hatred and violence have not vanished from the face of the earth. We still are witnesses to ugly words about others, and in some cases exclusion and even violence. Do we merely shrug our shoulders and remain silent because if that is the case then when we let racism, sexism or any act of bias go without our confrontation we are part of the problem. The leaders of so many of the conflicts today are cloaked in self-righteous beliefs that justify indiscriminate use of guns, bombs and missiles. If we remain silent those who have no voice are without hope. In every conflict there is some truth on each side but there is a greater truth. All people regardless of race, creed or beliefs have the right to freedom and the lack of oppression. My voice and yours may be only words in the wilderness, but our humanity, our creeds and all that is worthwhile within us demand our witness. Today in whatever way you deem fit speak up and speak out against some form of hatred.

Through the years I have had the opportunity to interview victims of war that have suffered unimaginable losses. Once you hear their stories and experience the horror of their tales you no longer can find meaning in words like”collateral damage.”It is so easy to roll out statistics when speaking about war and the never ending world conflicts. The dead of this past week are not merely statistics, but rather human beings whose lives were ended because of hatred, bias and a never ending set of rationales that purport to be righteous solutions. Those who opt for dialogue and peaceful solutions are branded as “unrealistic and dreamers”. I would contend that those who raise the swords are the unrealistic and naïve ones because ultimately their cause will be a pile of ashes like all the despots that have come before them.

There is little that one can do when faced with the enormous tragedies of the past few days. Innocent lives taken by acts of violence so heinous that it is difficult to grasp the depth of pain that has been caused. The reality is that despite the almost universal revulsion of these acts the beat goes on. Death chants continue,planes launch strikes, missiles are fired and the talking heads on TV justify their government’s positions. It is always the fault of the other group that has led to these consequences. Will we ever learn that barbaric acts never solve anything, and that sooner or later dictators fall, and peace makes infinitely more sense than war. There will never be a thousand year Reich and the sooner the plowshares replace the missiles the sooner we can get on with the real mission of humanity: loving each other and embracing the beauty of our diversity.

The world news is so horrific these days that it causes me to reflect on how blessed my life has been. Tragedy can strike at any moment, but when you reflect on the facts that I have never really known hunger, have always had shelter, was raised by a loving family and live in a land that is not perfect but allows me to speak openly about all of my beliefs; the concept of gratitude overwhelms me.. These wondrous gifts are not afforded to every person on the planet, and today there will be untold weeping and more shedding of blood. Innocent lives will be snuffed out, children will go hungry, young women will be kidnapped and caustic rationales by governments will justify all sorts of war crimes .If you are blessed like me ,try for one day to ignore the petty issues that concern your life and pause to reflect on how grateful you should be for all of your gifts and blessings.

My passionate street tIeam is already in high gear . I have secured presentations at two bookstores,two events in North Carolina,one in South Carolina,three in San Diego,one in upstate New York and a plethora of possibilities across the country.I will attempt to coordinate the events so that I may have multiple presentations in the same area.. As soon as the dates become firm I will post them on my website. http://sjtagliareni.com/

Tying up loose ends with the novel ,and the launch will be early in September.So many of you have been intimately involved in the process and have continuously asked how you can assist in promoting the work.Off the top of my head I would suggest:

Buy the book
Give it as a gift to friends and family
Write a review on Amazon or Bonds and Noble
Suggest speaking venues and media opportunities
Invite me to your book club or organization
Place the cover and short write up on your social media pages
Forward people to http://sjtagliareni.com/

We are putting together a national tour which will begin in the fall.Once the dates are firm I will post the calendar.
Thanks for all your help.

After over forty years of studying the Holocaust(Shoah) there are still no simple answers available.My journey which began with having the privilege of being a student of Viktor Frankl’s and the number of direct witnesses I met ,gave me a personal connection beyond mere historical dates and numbers. There were so many moments in this pursuit when I felt overwhelmed by the reality of the atrocities. The victims were not merely numbers they were fathers,mothers,children friends and neighbors and keeping their memory alive was not the search for revenge ,but rather the desire to honor their presence in the minds of all who mourn their loss. It has been difficult at times to continue the research ,and I am so aware of the “what ifs” that might have made a difference or at least minimized the numbers of those that were massacred.
I hope that the plot and characters in “The Cross or the Swastika” will in some small way make the story real and lasting in the minds and hearts of the readers.There are heroines, heroes and monsters in the novel and it is important to feel the impulses and choices that led to courage or depravity.No one can touch this period without being overwhelmed by the almost absolute destruction of an entire race.It is with this realization that it is important to keep the stories alive so that it may never happen again.

Spent the last two weeks vacationing in Tuscany,Bologna and Milan.No matter how many times I visit Italy I am never disappointed by the myriad cultural,social wonders that await the traveler.The weather was magnificent and fortunately my language ability with the mother tongue was at an all time high.Not fully recovered from jet lag but I will document the trip beginning tomorrow.

Results of the MRI were welcome news.No lesions,tumors or medical problems.However, the test showed a penchant for story telling, and a plot for a new novel.Seriously, even though I always anticipate the positive it is a relief to know that the hearing loss does not stem from anything serious.Today we leave for Italy and I never tire of visiting the land of my parents. A week in Lucca with a group of dear friends followed by a week in Bologna and Milan.I hope that there will be opportunities to find some wifi locales during the trip.