History is so important

I was 17 when I visited Germany for the first time. It was a trip set up by the War Graves Commission in Germany, whereby youngsters from all over Europe met together in different parts of Germany (I visited Hamburg).

We cleaned the graves of soldiers and civilians from the first and second world wars and in return we were taken on visits to local sites of interest.

One of the visits was to a former concentration camp near Hamburg. We were told horrific stories of the atrocities the Jewish community suffered at the hands of the Nazis.

I had no idea how awful the Holocaust really was until I visited there and was educated by the Germans about European history. Hearing the stories did not make me hate the Germans, as it was clear they are just like us and regret the awful things that happened in history.

They felt it necessary for us to know about the plight of the Jews and I feel it is so selfish and disturbing of R Mason to be more concerned about taxes than keeping the memory of the dead alive.

I think it is so important to learn of these things, not only in order to prevent their recurrence, but to inform youngsters of how lucky they are today.

I think it is highly worrying that R Mason thinks people all over the West Midlands will agree with his selfish opinion.

E Pincher, Vicarage Prospect, Dudley.