70 Years Ago Isn't That Far Back

Consider how far the world has come in seventy years.  It's easy to forget that in our grandparent's generation, the world was still fighting on a scale never before experienced.  And yet, it isn't that long ago when you consider Anne Frank.  She could have made it easily to 83 if she had been allowed the opportunity.  One lifetime.  We are just one long lifetime removed from so many global firsts, mostly of the unwanted kind.

Seventy years ago, on her 13th birthday, Anne Frank received what would become the world's most famous diary.

The red-checkered notebook was given to Frank by her father, Otto, on June 12, 1942—22 days before Frank and her German-born Jewish family went into hiding during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands.

"I hope I will be able to confide everything to you, as I have never been able to confide in anyone," Frank wrote in the diary on the same day. "And I hope you will be a great source of comfort and support."

Frank died in 1945 in a German concentration camp—crazy to think that Frank would've been just 83 today had she survived.

Her story should never be forgotten, and thanks to that diary it won't be.  The story of oppression, fear, and survival is a snapshot of one of the most violent and dangerous times ever.  And without vigilance and bravery, we could easily find ourselves there again.

When we talk about war, regardless of the countries involved, it's the Anne Franks of the world who remind us who we really are.