Holocaust Remembrance Day: Respect, Reflect, Resolve

On Thursday, April 28, 2022, the world must pause to commemorate Holocaust Remembrance Day.

It is a solemn day to remember the six million Jewish people murdered in the Holocaust.

In an atrocity unparalleled in evil and scope, six million Jews died at the hands of the Nazis during the Holocaust. Between 1940 and 1945, about 1.5 million men, women, and children died at the Auschwitz-Birkenau camp.

The Innocence of a Child

Anne Frank stands as the most memorable child of World War II and one of the most enduring children of all of history. Anne is a testimony to the dignity of the human being and that virtue endures despite the darkest possibility of inhumanity.

"The Diary of Anne Frank" charts the two years of this young Jewish girl from 1942-1944 when she hid with her family and another family from the Nazis.

The book has become one of the critical documents of the 20th century and profoundly inspires diversity, the power of the pen, and the triumph of good over evil.

Anne's book is one of the world's most read literary treasures, selling over 25 million copies and being translated into 67 different languages.

As a German-Jewish teenager, Anne was forced into hiding to escape execution from the Nazis during the Holocaust. After 25 months of hiding with her family, she was betrayed to the Nazis and deported to the Bergen-Bergen concentration camp. She died at 15 years old of typhus in March 1945 while in the concentration camp.

Despite the dark chaos of intolerance, hatred, and ignorance during her time, Anne Frank continued to believe in the goodness of humanity. On July 15, 1944, Anne wrote:

"It’s a wonder I haven’t abandoned all my ideals, they seem so absurd and impractical. Yet I cling to them because I still believe, in spite of everything, that people are truly good at heart. It’s utterly impossible for me to build my life on a foundation of chaos, suffering and death. I see the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness, I hear the approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too, I feel the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that this cruelty too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more."

Night by Elie Wiesel

Elie Wiesel, a survivor of Auschwitz, is the author of 36 works dealing with Judaism, the Holocaust and the moral responsibility of all people to fight hatred, racism, and genocide. In his book, Night, one of the most profound and renowned works of Holocaust literature, Wiesel records his lifelong personal anguish with the Holocaust:

"Never shall I forget that night, the first night in camp, which has turned my life into one long night, seven times cursed and seven times sealed. Never shall I forget that smoke. Never shall I forget the little faces of the children, whose bodies I saw turned into wreaths of smoke beneath a silent blue sky. Never shall I forget those flames which consumed my faith forever. Never shall I forget that nocturnal silence which deprived me, for all eternity, of the desire to live. Never shall I forget those moments which murdered my God and my soul and turned my dreams to dust. Never shall I forget these things, even if I am condemned to live as long as God Himself. Never."

Testimonial of a Holocaust Survivor

Reflecting on the Holocaust, I am reminded of an event I took part in on March 28, 2007. The Anti-Defamation League celebrated a Solidarity Seder with law enforcement, government, community, faith-based, corporate, and citizen guests in Trenton, New Jersey.

It was fittingly held at the Trenton War Memorial, a national historic site, built as a great community center dedicated to the memory of American soldiers and sailors who died fighting World War I.

Prior to the Seder, a representative of the Anti-Defamation League explained the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan (KKK). Contradicting their hatred, he shared these treasured words of Emma Lazarus inscribed on the pedestal of the Statue of Liberty:

"Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door"

Testimonials were then shared, including one from a young man who spoke about the heartbreak of seeing his mother arrested as they attempted to enter America from Mexico. This young man went on to proudly become an American citizen and applied to become a member of the United States Army.

Another young man stated there are no complaints about immigration as American’s enjoy the fruits and vegetables harvested through the labor and sweat of immigrants working on farms.

The most moving testimonial was by Holocaust survivor Shelly Zeiger who spoke passionately about “the town’s fool.” This man, lovingly referred to as Anton by Zeiger, was ridiculed as a misfit by his townspeople in western Ukraine and considered a fool because of his obsessive respect for all life.

Although a Catholic, Anton risked his own life to hide Jewish neighbors in his home. Anton hid Shelly, his father and mother, and two girls from the Nazis in the Zbrow ghetto for 27 months beginning in 1942. Shelly said, “Anton was truly a hero who teaches us to respect each human being, for courage can be found in the most unlikely of persons.”

After the war, Shelly and his family came to America. Years later, he mustered enough courage to go back to his hometown in the Ukraine to find Anton. He found him and brought him to live with him and his family in America, a country whose appreciation for diversity is the heartbeat of the nation and the world.

Liberation Monument, Liberty State Park, Jersey City, NJ

Surrounded by the historic significance of Ellis Island, the Statue of Liberty and the New York skyline, is the Liberation Monument. Designed by Sculptor Natan Rapaport, this inspirational statue depicts a World War II American Soldier carrying a survivor from the Auschwitz concentration camp. The image moves the soul to reflect on the values of compassion, character, and community.

The legacy of America urges a rebirth of patriotism that will transform us once again into a nation destined to be a hope for the world through our commitment to moral leadership, persevering vigilance, and dedicated collaboration.

Related: Master of Arts in Biblical Studies Paper / Pontifical College Josephinum

A Reflection on the Holocaust, Part I of III

A Reflection on the Holocaust, Part II of III

A Reflection on the Holocaust, Part III of III

Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us.

Saint Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us.

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with over 300 published works.  Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  He is co-founder of Global Security Resolutions and served as spokesperson for a coalition of Virginia Tech tragedy families of victims. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries.

Note Well:

Linkedin: Vincent J. Bove, Reawakening America LLC

twitter: vincentjbove

Facebook: Vincent J. Bove Consulting, Speaker Services, Publishing

Photo's
1. US Army medics help evacuate ill and starving survivors, Buchenwald, Germany, April 1, 1945. (US Holocaust Memorial Museum)

2. Diary of Anne Frank

3. The Liberation Monument, Jersey City NJ (Bill Kimbark)

4. Reawakening America book / (Photos: Lily Bove, PHAMA event, Champion, PA, Oct. 20, 2017)

Echoes of Columbine: School Violence Awareness and Prevention

On Thursday, April 21, 2022, I was privileged to address 90 police chiefs and associate members of the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association (BCPCA).

My remarks were titled Echoes of Columbine: School Violence Awareness and Prevention, and were delivered in Alpine, New Jersey.

As liaison for the BCPCA on issues of leadership, violence prevention, and public safety, I have shared monthly remarks to the association for the last 20 years.

During today’s event, I summarized a 30 minute FBI video titled Echoes of Columbine, and added some of my own insights.

The remarks shared today are as follows: 

Since this week was the anniversary date of Columbine, Apr. 20, 1999:

*23 years later – what have we learned.

*Unprecedented act of American violence

*13 dead and 21 others wounded and two suicides by the shooters

Columbine resonates with a new breed of shooters. Inspired a cult like following, a twisted blue print to follow or surpass.

      The Columbine Effect

Origin of shootings that followed it – the Columbine Effect, a psychological empowering of other shooters – Columbine is their inspiration – one of the first active shooter incidents, that unfolded in real time on International TV.

The two killers screamed their rage & received world-wide attention. Columbine is the template that has inspired over 100 other copy-cat attacks resulting in:

*Hundreds of lives lost

*Countless injuries

The tragic ramifications of Columbine continues.  For example, Virginia Tech’s (32 Dead / 23 wounded) killer (Apr. 16, 2007) wrote essay expressing admiration for the Columbine shootings.

Patterns and Behaviors of a School Shooter

Apparently, there is no typical profile but patterns and behaviors of a school shooter. 

FBI Profiling Unit Conclusion – profiling does not work for school shooters but studies over the last 20 years show many school shooters share common characteristics as follows:

Perceived injustices inflicted upon the attacker, they become an injustice collector with bruises that never heal.

Revenge – born from humiliation and the loss of control.

Need for Attention – their 15 minutes of fame no matter what the price of carnage is to pay for it.

Troubled, alienated, hopeless, withdrawn – desperate to express their dysfunction and brokenness.

Notoriety by the Media is appealing – the twisted notion of being recognize.

Mental Health Concerns

25% of attackers had mental health diagnosis prior to the attack.

Evidence of mental health issues in 61% of the attackers.  These mental health issues are not predictive but may factor in especially with issues of anxiety, depression, hopelessness, domestic violence, instability and family crisis – indicators which may amplify the need to act out the injustices.

90% of some evidence of suicidal ideation.

Pathological Fascination: A Catalyst

Another Catalyst – inspiration from previous attacks – not just an interest in the attacks but a pathological fascination supported by research, articles & video clips.

77% active shooters – including school shooters spend days, weeks, months to prepare – individuals do not just snap – they methodically prepare, often with pre-attack indicators.

Example: Oregon Community College Shooting (Oct. 1, 2015) – 9 dead, 8 wounded, then the shooter’s suicide. 

The shooter was hospitalized multiple times for wanting to harm others.

Like the Virginia Tech Shooter, he prepared a Manifesto – instructing deliver of his to law enforcement.

His warning signs – unbridled anger, false sense of entitlement, hopelessness, loner, no job, and the world was against him – a fascination with Columbine.

Pre-Attack Behavior Indicators

Inordinate impulsiveness

Recklessness

Aggression

Dramatic Changes – Red Flags, often noticeable by others – obsession with weapons and noticeable downward spiral on social media.

Shooters become desensitized to violence and dehumanize others – they are merely statistics.

Leakage, Broadcasting, Manifesto's

One Warning Sign – LEAKAGE – intentional or unintentional signals they are on the path to violence.

BROADCASTING – social media, comments, papers, drawings.

1/3 of cases – MANIFESTOS with detailed motives.  

After Columbine, I was privileged to travel the nation speaking with Jefferson County Sheriff’s Dept. Spokesperson – former tough Motorcycle cop whom I observed unable to watch the shared video coverage of Columbine with the audience, he would leave the assembly – he knew many of the students and families, and was devastated to be reminded of the violence.

Since 1999, I have been privileged to travel the country addressing issues of school violence awareness and prevention.  These concerns have also been covered in scores of published works, as well as my books Listen To Their Cries and Reawakening America.  

Today, I would like to thank the BCPCA for allowing my insights to be shared, so we never forget, and that we work together to prevent additional tragedies. 

Echoes of Columbine - FBI Documentary featuring the DeAngelis Center (Survivor Trigger Warning)

Published as the featured article in The Chief of Police, Official Publication of the National Association of Chiefs of Police, Oct. 27, 2022.  Bove has authored 18 hard copy cover stories for the magazine, with his articles appearing on a quarterly basis uninterruptedly since 2010.

Note Well:

Both my wife Lily and I would like to express our appreciation to the BCPCA for unexpectedly announcing  congratulations for her American citizenship at the event, and for the kind applause from the attendees.

Related Article:

Lily Bove, New American Citizen: A Family Legacy Continues

Read:

Columbine and Virginia Tech Anniversaries: Reverence, Vigilance, Prevention

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with 300 published works.  Bove is founder of Reawakening America LLC and recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award. Vincent is a former confident of the New York Yankees. His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. 

For more information see www.vincentbove.com or twitter@vincentjbove 

Read Vincent's Report

A Crisis of Leadership: A Response to the Virginia Tech Panel Report 

As with many of my presentations, copies of my articles published in The Chief of Police were available to attendees. Today, articles from The Chief of Police, Vol. XXXV were distributed.  Originally, the articles were distributed hard copy to police chiefs and law enforcement executives nationwide by the National Association of Chiefs of Police.  Additionally, they are posted in The Sentinel as follows:

Protecting America’s Houses of Worship, Schools, Facilities: A National Model

Fallen Police Officers Demands America’s Reawakening

Vincent J. Bove has conducted keynotes, presentations, and training throughout the United States. This partial client list in his home state of New Jersey reflects a microcosm of his programs on ethical leadership, violence prevention, and public safety nationwide:

Ø  The Southern New Jersey Prosecutor’s School Security Conference

Ø  Bergen County Education Association Conference in partnership with the Bergen County Sheriff's Office, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and Bergen County Police Chiefs Association (Keynotes at 3 conferences - ethical policing, school violence, and terrorism)

Ø  Saint Peter's College

Ø  Port Authority Police Academy 

Ø  Department of the Air Force, Joint Base McGuire-Dix

Ø  New Jersey Education Association

Ø  North Arlington Public Schools

Ø  Hackensack Public Schools

Ø  Hackensack Police Department - numerous domestic violence, school violence and community policing presentations, including Community Policing Summit in partnership with Hackensack University Medical Center

Ø  Tenafly Public Schools

Ø  West Milford Public Schools

Ø  Monmouth University

Ø  The Richard Stockton College of New Jersey

Ø  Cinnaminson Township Public Schools

Ø  Wood-Ridge Public Schools

Ø  North Arlington Public Schools

Ø  Fort Lee Public Schools

Ø  Morris County Professional Counselors Association

Ø  Fairleigh Dickinson University

Ø  North Bergen Board of Education

Ø  Union City Board of Education

Ø  Rebeka Verea Foundation

Ø  Bergenfield Public Schools

Ø  New Jersey School Boards Association

Ø  New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association

Ø  Morris County Council of Education Associations

Ø  Bergen County Law and Public Safety Institute

Ø  New Jersey State Association of Chiefs of Police

Ø  New Jersey City University 

Ø  New Jersey Association of School Administrators

Ø  West New York Board of Education

Ø  Carlstadt Public Schools

Ø  Livingston Police Department

Ø  New Milford Board of Education

Ø  New Jersey Association of School Business Officials

Ø  North Jersey Regional Crime Prevention Officers Association (board member)

Ø  New Jersey Bias Crime Officers Association

Ø  FBI, Newark Field Division - numerous presentations including Fort Monmouth, Fort Dix, the FBI Newark Field Office & the New Jersey Regional Computer Forensics Laboratory

Ø  Jersey City Police Department, East District (numerous domestic violence, school violence, and workplace violence keynotes & leadership keynote in partnership with cadets of the United States Military Academy on Ellis Island)

Ø  DARE NJ

Ø  River Vale Police Department Youth Police Academy Graduation Keynote

Ø  Teaneck Police Department

Ø  Essex County Police Chiefs Association

Ø  Essex County Police Academy Graduation Keynote

Ø  Essex County Crime Prevention Officers Association

Ø  Passaic Arts and Science Center

Ø  Northern Highlands Regional High School

Bove has also served the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association as liaison on issues including ethical leadership and violence prevention for 20 consecutive years. He shares monthly remarks to 75 - 100 members of the association including police chiefs from over 70 departments, the FBI, the NYPD, the Port Authority Police Department and community leaders.  

Photos:

1. Columbine Victims. (Facebook, Governor Jared Polis)

1. a. Echoes of Columbine motif. (Courtesy FBI)

2. Virginia Tech Victims. (Credit: Virginia Tech Police, twitter)

3. Listen To Their Cries by Vincent J. Bove - this book on leadership and violence prevention, was sponsored by West Point for 350 attendees from colleges nationwide during his National Conference on Ethics in America conference presentation.

Listen To Their Cries was also sponsored for all attendees - law enforcement, educators, and community leaders at events including The Southern New Jersey Prosecutors Safe Schools Conference (SNJPSSC) and the Bergen County Education Association (BCEA). 

The SNJPSSC initiative was a collaboration of seven prosecutors representing over 300 agencies and schools in their respective counties. 

The BCEA event involved 279 schools in partnership with the Bergen County Sheriff's Department and Bergen County Police Chiefs Association and the Bergen County Prosecutor.

LISTEN TO THEIR CRIES: Calling the Nation to Renewal from Columbine to Virginia Tech, also served initiatives including the New Jersey Education Association, D.A.R.E.NJ, West New York Schools, Allied Barton Security Services, Fairleigh Dickinson University, Monmouth University, the Rebeka Verea Foundation, the Jersey City PD, Wallkill Public School District, and the Hackensack Public Schools.

4. Reawakening America book / collage, Vincent J. Bove

5. Vincent J. Bove, cover story for The Chief of Police, Fall 2021, Vol. XXXIX.  

In the interests of time, the review of the FBI documentary for the BCPCA was 15:28 of the 28:59 minutes of the film.

Columbine and Virginia Tech Anniversaries: Reverence, Vigilance, Prevention

As America commemorates the anniversaries of the Columbine High School and Virginia Tech tragedies on the fateful days of April 16 and 20 respectively, we must pause.

The events demand reverence for those who lost their lives and prayer for their families.

Vigilance, especially during these tragic anniversary times, is also in order. An abundance of caution must be the foundation of mitigation, prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery principles of crisis management.

Columbine: A Snapshot

On April 20, 1999, two students killed 12 students and one teacher at Columbine High School in Littleton, Colorado, before committing suicide. The tragedy sparked a national response on school violence, bullying, character education, crisis planning, warning signs, police tactics, and firearms.

The tragedy continues to be analyzed due to its issues including the following:

• Diversionary tactics
• Propane tanks converted to bombs
• Nearly 100 explosive devices and bombs
• Firearms including a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, a double-barreled sawed-off shotgun, a Hi-Point 995 Carbine 9mm, and a 9mm Intratec TEC-9 semi-automatic handgun.

Columbine, and other incidents, led to a U.S. Secret Service report that shared the following findings relative to pre-attack behavior:

• Incidents of targeted violence at school were rarely sudden, impulsive acts.
• Prior to most incidents, other people knew about the attacker’s idea and/or plan to attack.
• Most attackers did not threaten their targets directly prior to advancing the attack.
• There is no accurate or useful profile of students who engaged in targeted school violence.
• Most attackers engaged in some behavior prior to the incident that caused others concern, or indicated a need for help.
• Most attackers had difficulty coping with significant losses or personal failures. Moreover, many had considered or attempted suicide.
• Many attackers felt bullied, persecuted, or injured by others prior to the attack.
• Most attackers had access to and had used weapons prior to the attack.
• In many cases, other students were involved in some capacity.
• Despite prompt law enforcement responses, most shooting incidents were stopped by means other than law enforcement intervention.

Virginia Tech: A Snapshot

The serenity of Virginia Tech was shattered on April 16, 2007, with 32 students and teachers killed and 17 wounded.

This violence was particularly heart wrenching because it was preventable. But lessons were not learned from the Columbine tragedy and numerous government documents including the following:

• “Early Warning, Timely Response: A Guide to Safe Schools,” August 1998
• “The Final Report and Findings of the Safe School Initiative: Implications for the Prevention of School Attacks in the United States” by the U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Department of Education, May 2002
• “Practical Information on Crisis Planning: A Guide for Schools and Communities,” May 2003

Despite a student killing two students on the fourth floor of the West Ambler Johnston residence hall, there were no precautions taken by school administration for the possibility that other shootings may occur. It was more than two hours later when an email alert was sent to the entire campus, but no emergency actions, such as lockdown, were implemented. Reprehensibly, the email did not emphasize that two students were killed or that the shooter was still at large.

Virginia Tech was eerily reminiscent of the Columbine tragedy—whose eighth anniversary was to be commemorated in just four days. It would be later discovered that the killer was obsessed with the Columbine killings.

How is it conceivable that two people are killed on a college campus during the anniversary week of Columbine, with a killer at large and no lockdown implemented? 

The failure of leadership is inexcusable as nothing was done to prevent the additional killings and injuries over two hours later.

Also, despite the pleadings of a vigilant professor calling for help for this student who manifested severe, troubling warning signs, school officials failed to provide the proper intervention to protect the campus. 

Not only were there warning signs, but the university had been put on notice at least a year and a half before the incident.

America wake up: character education, warning signs, threat assessment, and crisis planning principles must be the order of the day.

Photos

1. Columbine Victims Collage.

2. Mourners during Virginia Tech's Day of Remembrance on April 16, 2008, honoring the 32 people killed in a mass shooting one year earlier, in Blacksburg, Va., on April 16, 2007. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)

3. Listen To Their Cries by Vincent J. Bove book cover.  The book addresses issues presented by Vincent during his presentations throughout the nation immediately following the Columbine tragedy.  It also presents issues on his work as spokesperson for a coalition of victim's families after the Virginia Tech tragedy.  Listen To Their Cries was sponsored for all attendees at many of Vincent's presentations including the following:

• The National Conference on Ethics in America at West Point
• The Southern New Jersey Prosecutor's Safe Schools Conference
• Hackensack Public Schools Professional Development Training
• Allied Barton Safe Schools Seminar for NYC Colleges at the New York Athletic Club
• D.A.R.E. NJ Safe Schools Conference
• New Jersey Education Association Safe Schools Conference
• Bergen County Education Association in partnership with the Bergen County Police Chiefs Association, Bergen County Prosecutor's Office and Bergen County Sheriff's Office
• Fairleigh Dickinson University
• The Rebeka Verea Foundation for West New York Public Schools Professional Development 

About the Author

Vincent J. Bove, CPP, is a national speaker and author on issues critical to America with 300 published works.  Bove is recipient of the FBI Director's Community Leadership Award and former confident of the New York Yankees.  His most recent books are Reawakening America and Listen To Their Cries. 

For more information see www.vincentbove.com or twitter@vincentjbove 

Read Vincent's Report

A Crisis of Leadership: A Response to the Virginia Tech Panel Report