Nazis

Ushuaia: the last city on earth, the southern tip of the world. Stunning mountain scenery, snow, the famous red and white lighthouse, sea lions and rare Patagonian birds.

And Nazis, too.

On my first day in Ushuaia, I stopped in a store and found an awesome gift for a friend of mine (I won't say what it was because then that friend will know). Anyway, for some reason (perhaps my cheapness, which would be ironic considering the events of this story), I decided to wait to purchase the gift until the end of my stay in Ushuaia.

So it's my last couple hours in Ushuaia and I can't find that store again. I'm racing all over the main street, until finally, the end of the street at the end of the world, I find that little souvenier shop that sells the particular item I want.

Elated, I hurry in, put my 50 pesos on the counter, and in between pants say "Dame eso." The clerk kindly shows me other designs and I finally settle on what I think is the most unique option. The clerk, an older woman, puts the item in its bag and asks me where I'm from.

"Los Estados Unidos," I respond.

She opens the cash register and says, "You have a new president, right?"

"Yep," I answer with a smile on my face.

The woman then asks me when he will take office.

Now, at this point I'm thinking that, like everyone else in Argentina, this woman is tired of Republicans and President Bush and is excited about the new guy. So I pleasantly say, "January...don't worry, only a little time is left!"

She gives me a disapproving look. "I don't like him," she says.

Me: (Shocked) Why?
Her: Because he's black.
Me: (Awkward silence). Uh...
Her: Black people only care about other black people and they don't like white people.
Me: (Slightly more shocked) ...It's not like that in America.
Her: Yeah? Well when I was a little girl in Germany it was like that.

Little girl...Germany...

History lesson: what was going on in Germany when that old woman was a little girl?

Was it:

A) the fall of the Berlin Wall,
B) World War II/the Holocaust, or
C) the Germanic barbarians' invasion of Rome?

I do believe the correct answer is B.

I took the souvenier, said "gracias," and peaced the hell out of that place.

But later, I started thinking:

There aren't many racists left in the world. We just elected a half-black president, and you know it wouldn't have been possible if a number of geezers in Virginia, North Carolina, etc. hadn't died in the last decade or so. This woman is the first Nazi I've ever met, and there aren't many left. As the number of Holocaust survivors dwindles, so too does the number of Nazis. Maybe Spielberg should do a "Shoah Project" recording their thoughts, so future generations can say, "you mean, people actually didn't like other people because of their skin?" or "people doubted that a black man would be voted president?"

I'm not mourning intolerance, but it is noteworthy that one of my most interesting conversations of the trip was with an ex-Nazi.