Period 6 Law Adventure- Nazi Flag Case

FACTS: (Kevin Chen) - German immigrant who served in the German military during WWII hangs a Nazi Flag with Swastika from the flagpole on his front lawn. - His neighbor who lives directly across the street is a Jewish Holocaust Survivor. Sent by Kevin: Kevin Chen

Law Adventure Case

11/29/15

Facts:

On the fourth of November in 2015 in Livingston N.J, an old Nazi soldier, who is now a U.S. citizen, flew a flag with a swastika (such as the Nazi flag) on it. The veteran’s Jewish neighbors see the flag and start to riot. His next door neighbor is an old Jewish Holocaust survivor, and he started panicking when they saw the flag. The Jewish community filed a lawsuit against the old man that he should be jailed and pay an additional $15,000 to cover for the old Jew’s medical bills.

Witnesses:

Plaintiff:

The old Jewish Holocaust survivor

WWII Historian

Defendant:

Nazi Veteran ISSUE: - Holocaust survivor is feeling threatened by the flag, and therefore by his neighbor. To him, the Nazi flag represents violence, anti-semitism and repression. - German immigrant insists that he his flying the flag out of pride in his heritage and service to his first homeland. He believes that being made to take the flag down would be against HIS first amendment right to free speech.

LAW: 1st amendment – freedom of speech

WITNESS: For the plaintiff, The Realtor and The Holocaust Survivor. For the defense, German immigrant/WWII Veteran and History Professor from Princeton University.

Holocaust Survivor/neighbor: (Molly and Carly) Witness against flag sent by Molly

Holocaust survivor- lives across the street Only member of family to survive old lady window of bedroom is pointed at the flag

Real estate agent can't sell house because of the neighbors jewish features

Neighbors here him yelling Very rude when in public when people walk on property, yells go away!

Testimony of Old Jewish Neighbor: sent by Kevin Chen

When I was a young boy, I lived in Germany. At the time, Hitler gained power, many Jewish families in my community were moving to other European nations. However, my family did not move because my father was owner of a hugely successful restaurant, and wanted to maintain that fortune. That was a bad move, and only a couple weeks later, we were rounded up by the German police. They attempted to take my sister away, but my father put up a fight. As a result, he was beaten to death on the spot. We were then separated, and each of us, my mother, my sister, my little brother and I, we were put in concentration camps. Those 6 years were the worst years in my life, as I was repeatedly tortured. I was lucky, as I survived. I later learned that my family was not so fortunate. My brother and sister were gassed to death, and my mother was shot. I moved to the U.S. to avoid this terror, and forget about this horrific event, yet at every turn, at antique stores and museums, I see Nazi flags, Nazi flags, and Nazi flags. Even in my peaceful new home, there is a Nazi flag. I decide to sue, because this Nazi flag has violated my right to feel secure in my own home!

Testimony of WWII Historian: sent by Kevin Chen…make this part of the Jewish man’s character.

WWII was a disastrous war for Jews, because they were persecuted all over Germany and other Nazi territories. Not only that, but they were chased out of their own homes, and left behind their homes, money, and lives, in order to move on. Approximately six million Jews were killed in the Holocaust, and many were left without families. The infamous swastika is a famous sign, and in the minds of Jews, it will always represent the Nazi party of Germany

Realtor: Write about how other homes in the neighborhood aren’t selling because people are commenting that they are afraid to live in a neighborhood that supports racism and radicalism.

German immigrant/WWII Veteran: (Michaela and Aarti and Jaina):

Testimony of Nazi Veteran: sent by Kevin Chen

The flag I flew on the fourth of November was a plain flag with a swastika on it. That’s it. I flew the flag because I am a nationalist. You see, the swastika was a symbol of the nationalist party in Germany. My family would support whatever my country did. Soon, WWII came, and my father enlisted, and sadly, he was killed ruthlessly by Soviet soldiers. It is because of this that I joined the Nazi army, not out of admiration for Adolf Hitler, but to avenge my father’s death. By the time I had enlisted, Berlin was on the verge of falling. I was hastily shown how to use a gun, than quickly transported from my country village. I was stationed in a building near the center of the city, but when we arrived, it was too late. I saw no combat, only to find Soviet soldiers parading through the streets. Returning to topic, I have no admiration for the Nazis for they were ruthless and I know it. It is only in my pride for the Nationalist Party that I fly a flag with the swastika on it. Besides, the 1st amendment protects this as it is my freedom of speech.

Symbols Historian

Testimony of Symbols Historian: Over the course of history, the swastika has been a symbol found in many cultures. Only recently has it been a symbol of controversy. The swastika is an interesting little symbol. It has been found in caves dating hundreds to thousands of years ago. It has been the symbol of companies, hockey teams, and has even been found on medieval objects. The Swastika is also a symbol of the nationalist party in Germany at the time. Being a nationalist means that you support your country. This means that flying a flag with the Swastika would not be bad because that would only mean you support your country.

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