Never Forget

Little boy in the group of children visiting Mel's Holocaust survivor art display:
Why did the Nazi's do all of this, Mr. Mermelstein?

Mel Mermelstein:
Ah, that's a good question. You see, this is an old political trick. If you can find a scapegoat, somebody you can blame for all of the problems, and if you can get people to believe that their lives would be better if those people were gone, then that's a way of getting power.

Ms. Teitler:
I'm afraid there's no help we can give you.

Anti-Defamation League man #2:
There is no way for you to get satisfaction, Mr. Mermelstein.

Mel Mermelstein:
Satisfaction? What I want is justice.

Anti-Defamation League man #2:
Any legal satisfaction. This letter is not actionable, which means there are no means to take them into court. Of course, ah, I mean a real court, a United States court, not their kangaroo court.

Ms. Teitler:
Let me tell you something you probably already know: Now, the Institute for Historical Review is part of an ongoing germ; it's a network of professional liars and haters who get pleasure out of telling their horrible lies.

Anti-Defamation League man #2:
Um hum.

Ms. Teitler:
That there was no Holocaust. Now, to some people, people who need to hear this kind of smut, it unfortunately has some kind of appeal. We know them. We know what they are doing. Now let me tell you something you probably don't want to hear: You would be folish to pay any attention to this letter, Mr. Mermelstein, you would be playing right into their hands. [she continues]

Mel Mermelstein:
How do you mean?

Anti-Defamation League man #1:
The whole challenge is phony; they don't want the truth. They'll stack the deck against you.

Mel Mermelstein:
But I could tell what I saw with my own eyes in the camps. I could bring witnesses.

Anti-Defamation League man #1:
They'll ridicule you and your witnesses.

Ms. Teitler:
All you would accomplish by responding is to give them exactly what they want. They want the publicity.

Anti-Defamation League man #2:
Yeah, if you give them the recognition they are looking for, they win; ignore them, you win.

Mel Mermelstein:
Now just a minute. You can't see threw my jacket but when you say 'Ignore them', I get goose bumps, I get a shiver, 'cause that's exactly the same words that the wise men in my town in Munkacs, Hungary said when the Nazi's started to spread their lies.

Ms. Teitler:
Mr. Mermelstein - [interrupted]

Mel Mermelstein:
Please! Please! Please! Don't give me this 'Ignore them' business because I know where that ends!

Bernie Mermelstein:
Goin' into the Nazi huntin' business, hey dad?

Mel Mermelstein:
What's that supposed to mean?

Bernie Mermelstein:
Isn't that what they do at the Anti-Defamation League?

Mel Mermelstein:
They're involved in a lot of other things over there as well. Like keeping track of groups like this. [briefly showing the letter from the Holocaust denier group he received]

Bernie Mermelstein:
Don't you think you're kind of over reacting about a dumb letter? There's a lot of nut cases running around shootin' their mouths off.

Mel Mermelstein:
Yes. And sometimes people listen to them.

Mel Mermelstein:
[looking at IHR literature] What the hell is this?