War Criminals Identified

From Reuters:

“Ukraine says it identified 511 war crime suspects, convicted 81”

Ukraine has identified 511 people suspected of war crimes since Russia's Feb. 2022 invasion and has already handed down 81 convictions, its prosecutor general said in Kyiv on Thursday. Andriy Kostin was speaking at a war crimes conference alongside the chief prosecutors of Poland, Lithuania, Romania and the President of the EU justice arm, Eurojust.At a press conference after their meeting, the prosecutors announced the signing of a two-year extension to the work of the Joint Investigation Team, an initiative by five European Union countries to probe war crimes in the conflict. Russia has denied its troops commit war crimes, despite the conflict having killed thousands of Ukrainian civilians.

The JIT is conducting what Eurojust chief Ladislav Harman called the “biggest investigation of war crimes in history.” Lithuanian Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene said the JIT had so far spoken to over 5,000 Ukrainians as part of their investigations. Commenting on the 81 convictions, Kostin acknowledged that most had been conducted without the suspects in custody. He said Ukraine wanted to get justice as quickly as possible instead of waiting until the end of the war. “Most of these convictions are in absentia, but it speaks to the fact that we are securing justice right now,” he said.

Kostin added that discussions were taking place with more than 40 countries about the possibility of forming a war crimes tribunal. He indicated that a decision on the format of the panel this year would be “a powerful signal”, but did not say more about when it could start. He said such a tribunal was likely to last several years once it began. Kostin and Grunskiene said investigators had managed to establish the identities of three people, all pro-Russian militants from the Donetsk region, suspected of killing Lithuanian film director Mantas Kvedaravicius in the city of Mariupol. Kvedaravicius’ death was announced by Ukraine’s defence ministry in April 2022. Kostin on Thursday said the film director had died as a result of torture inflicted by the three suspects, including broken bones, knife wounds and a mock execution. The director was filming a documentary showing the suffering of Mariupol’s residents during a brutal, months-long siege of the city by advancing Russian forces. The documentary, Mariupolis 2, was released several months after his death.

^ Ukraine continues to surprise and impress me. Not only do they continue to fight Russia, but they are also working to bring justice to the Victims. ^

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/ukraine-says-it-identified-511-war-crime-suspects-convicted-81-2024-02-29/

Another Extension

 

The House and the Senate both passed a Temporary Spending Bill so the Federal Government won't shut down on Saturday.

Don't get too excited they only kicked-it down the road (as they have since October 2023.)

The Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Transportation, Housing and Urban Development, Veterans Affairs, Energy, Justice, Commerce, Energy and other offices are funded through March 8th.

The Pentagon, the Legislative Branch and Foreign Operations, and the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, State and Homeland Security are funded through March 22nd.

1 Time Zone

From Reuters:

“Kazakhstan to unify time zones across 1,900 miles”

Consumers in Kazakhstan have received messages from banks, mobile telecommunications operators and other service providers warning of possible disruptions as most of the country prepares to switch to a different time zone from March 1. In order to unify time across the country the size of Western Europe, most of Kazakhstan's regions will move their clocks back by one hour at midnight on Thursday, putting the whole country in the UTC+5 time zone. Until now, only the country's western provinces were in that time zone, while others, including main cities Astana and Almaty, were an hour ahead. Kazakhstan, which borders Russia and China, stretches 3,000 kilometres (about 1,900 miles) from east to west. Kazakhstan's backbone oil industry is concentrated in its west and is therefore unlikely to suffer from any disruptions.

^ This is interesting to hear. I hope it all goes smoothly. ^

https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/kazakhstan-unify-time-zones-across-1900-miles-2024-02-29/

Canada's Mexican Surge

From the BBC:

“Canada reimposes visas requirements for Mexicans as asylum claims surge”

A surge of Mexican nationals seeking asylum has led Canada to bring back visa requirements that were lifted nearly eight years ago. Immigration Minister Marc Miller said on Thursday that more than half of the asylum applications to the country are either abandoned or rejected. Ottawa removed the requirements in 2016 to improve relations with Mexico. Since then, an influx of immigrants has put strain on the government of Quebec and pushed it to a "breaking point". Asylum claims from Mexican nationals to Canada rose from 260 to 23,995 between 2016 and 2023, an increase of more than 9,000%, according to federal data. In Ottawa, 17% of all asylum claims in 2023 came from Mexico, a record high, Mr Miller said at a press conference. He said that the Mexican government has expressed dissatisfaction with the reinstated visa requirements but "Mexico is and will remain an important partner". Mexicans with work or study permits will be exempt from the visa rules. The federal government has been under pressure from the province of Quebec over the surge of asylum claims.

In January, the premier of the province said it was at a "breaking point" due to an influx of asylum seekers putting a strain on government services like education, as well as housing. Premier Francois Legault asked Ottawa for C$1bn ($736m; £582m) to help the province handle the cost of the influx. Nearly 60,000 new asylum seekers were recorded in Quebec in the first 11 months of 2023, according to Mr Legault, with another 65,000 expected this year. About a quarter of those are from Mexico, Quebec has said. The provincial immigration minister, Christine Fréchette, said that an "important step has been taken but it won't solve everything". "The number of asylum seekers welcomed by Quebec is far too high and our services are overwhelmed," she wrote in a statement on X, formerly Twitter. A year ago, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and US President Joe Biden agreed a border deal that closed a loophole that had allowed asylum seekers to enter at unofficial points on the Canada-US border and make asylum claims. Many asylum claimants are now coming in by air, Mr Miller said.

Under the new rules that come into effect on Thursday night, Mexican nationals who hold a valid US non-immigrant visa or have held a Canadian visa in the past 10 years will be able to apply for an electronic travel authorization - an entry requirement for people who are visa exempt. All other Mexican nationals will need to apply for a visa.

^ Since Mexico is unwilling and unable to stop the flow of Illegal Immigrants from their country the US and Canada have to do the job. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68430462

SCOTUS Will Hear

 From the BBC:

“Top US court will rule on Trump immunity claims”

The Supreme Court will decide if ex-President Donald Trump is immune from being prosecuted on charges of trying to overturn the 2020 election. The 6-3 conservative majority court decided on Wednesday to hear Mr Trump's claims that he should be shielded from criminal liability. The ruling marks the first time the court has weighed in on such a case.

A US Court of Appeals panel has already rejected Mr Trump's argument that he enjoys presidential immunity. Mr Trump had claimed in the landmark legal case that he was immune from all criminal charges for acts he said fell within his duties as president. But the court ruled unanimously against the 77-year-old, writing that: "We cannot accept former President Trump's claim that a president has unbounded authority to commit crimes that would neutralise the most fundamental check on executive power - the recognition and implementation of election results." He appealed the case to the Supreme Court and asked to put that decision on hold.

Mr Trump was charged last year with witness tampering and conspiracy to defraud the US in federal court in Washington DC over his attempts to overturn his 2020 election loss to Joe Biden. That trial was originally scheduled for March. The Supreme Court has scheduled arguments in the case for the week of April 22, meaning the Washington DC trial date will be delayed while the high court considers the case. The Republican front-runner candidate for president is facing a host of other federal and state criminal charges. Mr Trump has pleaded not guilty in all the cases, frequently referring to them as political "witch hunts". The former president is facing a trial starting in late March on charges of falsifying business records over hush-money payment he made to a porn star. The Supreme Court is also hearing arguments in a separate case weighing whether Mr Trump can be disqualified from running for a second term under the 14th Amendment's "insurrection ban."

^ Hopefully the Supreme Court will actually follow the law and not their own Politics and find Trump didn’t/doesn’t have Carte Blanche Immunity.  ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-68431830

Ghana Moves Backwards

From the BBC:

“Ghana passes bill making identifying as LGBTQ+ illegal”

Ghana's parliament has passed a tough new bill that imposes a prison sentence of up to three years for anyone convicted of identifying as LGBTQ+. It also imposes a maximum five-year jail term for forming or funding LGBTQ+ groups. Lawmakers heckled down attempts to replace prison sentences with community service and counselling. It is the latest sign of growing opposition to LGBTQ+ rights in the conservative West African nation. The bill, which had the backing of Ghana's two major political parties, will come into effect only if President Nana Akufo-Addo signs it into law. He previously said that he would do so if the majority of Ghanaians want him to. Gay sex is already against the law in Ghana - it carries a three-year prison sentence.

Last month Amnesty International warned that the bill "poses significant threats to the fundamental rights and freedoms" of LGBTQ+ people. Activists fear there will now be witch-hunts against members of the LGBTQ+ community and those who campaign for their rights, and say some will have to go into hiding. This was echoed by the head of the UN body tackling Aids, Winnie Byanyima, who said: "If Human Sexual rights and Ghanaian Family Values Bill becomes a law, it will exacerbate fear and hatred, could incite violence against fellow Ghanaian citizens, and will negatively impact on free speech, freedom of movement and freedom of association." She added that it would "obstruct access to life-saving services" and "jeopardize Ghana's development success". The bill proposes a jail term of up to 10 years for anyone involved in LGBTQ+ advocacy campaigns aimed at children.

It also encourages the public to report members of the LGBTQ+ community to authorities for "necessary action". MPs said the bill was drafted in response to the opening of Ghana's first LGBTQ+ community centre in the capital, Accra, in January 2021. Police shut the centre following public protests, and pressure from religious bodies and traditional leaders in the largely Christian nation. At the time, the Christian Council of Ghana and the Ghana Pentecostal and Charismatic Council said in a joint statement that being LGBTQ+ was "alien to the Ghanaian culture and family value system and, as such, the citizens of this nation cannot accept it". The bill approved by lawmakers is a watered-down version of an earlier draft - for instance, jail terms have been shortened and a controversial clause on conversion therapy has been removed. During the days-long debate, the deputy parliamentary leader of the governing party, Alexander Afenyo-Markin, suggested further changes. He said lawmakers should decide, via a secret ballot, whether people convicted of being members of the LGBTQ+ community should be imprisoned by the courts or ordered to do community service and undergo counselling. However, he was heckled into submission by lawmakers who supported prison sentences.

^ Sadly, Ghana becomes another Country that moves backwards in time instead of forward. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-africa-68353437

Foggy Mountain

Today's rain, wind and thick fog on my mountain makes me think of every Scooby Doo ever.

I just hope I don't see their van driving up because then I'll know I'm the old Caretaker they are looking for and I'll have to say "And I Would Have Gotten Away With It Too, If It Weren't For You Meddling Kids."

Amnesty Breach

From Reuters:

“UK's Northern Ireland amnesty law in breach of human rights, court rules”

The offering by Britain of conditional amnesties to ex-soldiers and militants involved in Northern Ireland's decades of violence is in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), Belfast's High Court ruled on Wednesday. Judge Adrian Colton said the section of a new law introduced last year to offer immunity from prosecution for those who cooperated fully with a new investigative body should be disapplied. The contentious law sparked more than 20 legal challenges in Northern Ireland, mostly from victims' families, who said it contravened the ECHR and a 1998 peace deal that ended the three decades of bloodshed. "I am satisfied that immunity from prosecution provisions under Section 19 of the (Northern Ireland Troubles) Act are in breach of the lead applicant's rights pursuant to Article 2 of the ECHR. I am also satisfied that they are in breach of Article 3 of the ECHR," Judge Adrian Colton told the court. "There is no evidence that the granting of immunity under the Act will in any way contribute to reconciliation in Northern Ireland. Indeed, the evidence is to the contrary," Colton said, spending more than two hours reading the 200-page judgment.

Britain's Northern Ireland Minister, Chris Heaton-Harris, said the government remained committed to implementing the law and that the challenge in Belfast was a "complex case" that was likely to lead to further action in higher courts.  Victims' families, human rights organisations and all major political parties in Northern Ireland - both British unionist and Irish nationalist - oppose the law.

'SECONDARY TRAUMA' The Irish government is mounting a separate legal challenge against Britain at the European Court Of Human Rights, where it has also argued that the British move was incompatible with its obligations under the European Convention. The judge declared that the immunity provisions were also incompatible with the Windsor Framework agreement governing post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland that London struck with the European Union last year. His ruling added that other sections of the Northern Ireland Troubles Act, including the halting of certain civil actions related to the conflict, were incompatible with both the ECHR and Windsor Framework. The leader of Northern Ireland's moderate nationalist SDLP party, Colum Eastwood, called on London to abandon its approach. The more than 20 challenges were condensed down to lead cases that were heard in November. Lawyers for the applicants told the court that victims' families who had been seeking justice for decades had suffered "a form of secondary trauma".

Britain has defended the law, saying prosecutions linked to the events of up to 55 years ago were increasingly unlikely. A lawyer for the government argued that the law was a "logical outworking" of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement and could draw a line under the conflict.

Around 3,600 people died in three decades of confrontation between Irish nationalist militants seeking a united Ireland, pro-British "loyalist" paramilitaries and the British military.

^ I support this ruling. The British Government has tried everything to cover-up their crimes in Northern Ireland ever since the 1960s including blaming the Victims themselves.

The British Prime Minister admitted that in June 2010 (when I was in Northern Ireland) and yet the Brits today are still trying to whitewash their history and their crimes.

3,532 Men, Women and Children (Northern Irish, British, Irish, Protestants and Catholics) died from 1968-1998.

47,500 more were wounded and/or disabled.

Each side needs to be held accountable for their actions. No one should be given Amnesty. ^

https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/uks-northern-ireland-amnesty-law-breach-human-rights-court-rules-2024-02-28/

Ready For The Weather

 

Helene Moszkiewiez

 Helene Moszkiewiez

Helene Moszkiewiez worked within the Belgian Resistance during World War II, and maintained three identities, Jewish, Belgian and German, working for two years as a Clerk in Gestapo Headquarters in Brussels.

She was born on December 20, 1920 and was 19 when the Germans occupied Belgium in May1940.

Before the War she met a young Belgian Soldier named Francois at a Library in Brussels and after the German Occupation she met him again, wearing a German Uniform and working for the Belgian Resistance.

She accepted his offer to be his Secretary inside German Gestapo Headquarters.  She was Jewish and so had even more to fear from the Germans yet she continued to work with the Resistance.

 In her work she heard the screams of the Gestapo Victims being beaten and tortured, she stole information to rescue Jews scheduled for Transport to the Death Camps, she helped a truckload of Allied POWs escape by driving them to the Swiss Border and she killed a Senior Gestapo Officer in cold blood in a public park.

Helene was married to her First Husband, Albert, for just 1 week before the Germans sent him to the Auschwitz Death Camp where he was murdered.

Helene’s Parents were also deported to Auschwitz (on the last Transport leaving Belgium) where they were murdered in 1944.

After the Liberation of Belgium Helene was nearly hung as a German Collaborator for having worked the Gestapo until her work with the Belgian Resistance became known.

In 1946 she received a Certificate of Service, signed by British Field Marshall Montgomery.

Francois, who recruited Helene, had turned into a Double Agent and denounced several Resistance Fighters to the Germans. He was tried for Treason in London and hanged.

Helene married a Englishman, Albert Abraham Celmaster, a Member of the Intelligence Service and moved to Vancouver, Canada where they had 2 Children.

Her Husband also encouraged her to wrote a Memoir which she did called “Inside the Gestapo: A Jewish Woman’s Secret War.”

Her Memoir was turned into the 1991 Film “A Woman At War” starring Martha Plimpton as Helene.

Hélène Moszkiewiez died on June 18, 1998 in Southampton. She was 78 years old.

4 Days Til Shutdown

 The US Federal Government could Shutdown by this Friday March 1^st.)

Here is the Effect of Congress’ Shutdown on the American People by the Numbers:

535  = All Members of Congress will continue to be paid.

1 = President Biden will continue to be paid.

2 Million = Active-Duty Soldiers, Sailors and Marines will continue to protect us across the United States and around the World, but will not be paid.

400,000 = Civilian Defense Employees will be furloughed and not paid

400,000  =  Civilian Defense Employees will be forced to work without pay.

20,000 = US Border Patrol Officers will continue to work apprehending and processing over 2,000 Illegal Immigrants every day, but will not be paid.

16,000 = US Immigration and Customs Enforcement Officers will continue to work at our country’s land and sea borders including at airports, but will not be paid.

17,000 =  Employees of NASA will be furloughed without pay and the other

1,300 = Employees of NASA will be forced to work without pay.

18,478  = Employees of The National Institutes of Health will be furloughed and not paid.

18,000 = Employees of the FDA will be forced to work without pay.

35,000 = Employees of the FBI will be forced to work without pay.

105,778 = Employees of the USDA will be forced to work without pay.

412,892 = Employees of the Department of Veterans Affairs will be forced to work without pay.

4,600 = Employees of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) will either be furloughed or forced to work without pay.

54,200 = TSA Officers will continue to work, but without pay.

9,062 = Air Traffic Controllers will continue to work, but without pay.

60,000 = Employees of the Social Security Administration (SSA) will be forced to work without pay.

22,991 = Employees of The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will be forced to work without pay.

$1 Billion US Dollars = The Estimated amount the United States will lose every day of a Government Shutdown.

US States and Territories will not receive any new Federal Money – which will affect Millions of State and Territory Employees as well as Millions of Residents receiving certain Benefits funded by both the State/Territory and the Federal Government.

Federal Employees deemed “Essential” and forced to work without pay will probably either call-out sick or do a Work Slowdown as happened in other Shutdowns (especially with the TSA.)

Even though all Federal Government Employees (including those in the Military) will eventually be paid once a Shutdown ends that doesn’t mean much when you are living Paycheck-to-Paycheck and can’t pay your Rent, your Bills, buy Medicines or buy Groceries.

Every Member of Congress (from every Party) has let the American People down as have every single person who called for a Government Shutdown – whether a Politician or not.

They are as unpatriotic as an American can be.

I only hope they get bombarded with stories and examples of how their actions/inaction has literary affected innocent American Men, Women and Children across the country as well as the American Soldiers and their Families Overseas whom the Politicians have abandoned.

Congress Not Working

 

Malta

 Malta: The Country.

(The Blue Grotto in Malta.)

 

Malta is a country made of several islands in the Mediterranean Sea (50 miles from Sicily.)

It has 3 inhabited islands: Malta, Gozo and Comino.

Its Capital is Valetta and it has one airport: Malta International Airport.

Maltese (a Semitic Language) and English are the Official Languages.

It has a population of 519,000 people over 122 square miles.

It is a Member of the European Union, uses the Euro and is part of the Schengen Area.

It is also a Member of the Commonwealth of Nations.

 

Malta has a long history:

It has been inhabited since 5900 BC.

It was occupied by the Phoenicians from 700 BC to 218 BC.

It was occupied by the Romans from 218 BC to 533 AD.

It was occupied by the Byzantines from 533 to 870.

It was occupied by Muslims from North Africa from 870 to 1091.

It was occupied by the Norman Christians (as part of the Kingdom of Sicily) from 1091 to 1224.

It was occupied by the Aragonese from 1224 to 1529.

It was occupied by the Knights of Saint John from 1530 to 1798.

The 1^st Great Siege of Malta occurred from May 18 – September 11, 1565 when 40,000 Ottoman Turks tried to take the Islands from the 6,100 Knights Hospitaller. The Ottomans lost.

It was occupied from 1798 to 1800 by the French.

It was occupied by the British from 1800 to 1964 and became a Crown Colony.)

The 2^nd Great Siege of Malta occurred from June 11, 1940 to November 20, 1942 when the Fascist Italians and the Nazi Germans both blockaded the Mediterranean Sea around Malta to starve the Colony as well as bombing the Colony into surrendering.

The Islands were protected by the British, Australians, South Africans and Canadians on the land and in the air and by the Americans (in 1942) in the sea.

Malta was a major British Radar Station during the War that covered Southern Europe, North Africa and the Middle East.

Malta was the most bombed territory of World War 2 in terms of total number of bombs dropped by the Germans and the Italians (15,000 tons of bombs on the 122 square miles of Malta om 2 years.)

Malta was nearly starved into surrendering due to the Germans destroying most of the Allied Convoy Ships carrying Food, Medicine and Fuel to Malta and Malta was about to surrender to the Germans until Operation Pedestal brought the needed supplies to the Colony in August 1942.

King George VI awarded the George Cross to the whole Colony of Malta in April 1942 for everything the Maltese suffered through (and the George Cross continues to be on the Maltese Flag.)

After the Americans and the British invaded German-Occupied North Africa and the Germans were defeated in November 1942 the Siege of Malta was lifted.

30,000 Buildings were destroyed, 2,301 Allied Airmen were killed and 1,300 Maltese Civilians were killed.

Princess Elizabeth (later Queen Elizabeth II) lived on Malta from 1949-1951 when her Husband Prince Philip was stationed there.

Queen Elizabeth II became Queen of Malta (the first and only Maltese Monarch) in 1964 when Malta became an Independent Kingdom (from 1952-1964 she ruled Malta as the British Queen.) She stopped being the Queen of Malta when Malta became a Republic in 1974.

In 1980 Malta became part of the UNESCO World Heritage List.

In 1989, Malta was the venue of a Summit between US President George H. W. Bush and Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev, their first face-to-face encounter, which signaled the end of the Cold War.

Malta joined the EU in 2004, the Schengen Travel Area in 2007 and the Eurozone in 2008.

Today, Malta is known for its Tourism (getting 1.5 Million Visitors a year). Its Film Industry and its Science and Technology.

 

I visited Malta when I was 14 years old after convincing my 8^th Grade Class to go to Malta for Spring Break. It was a lot of fun.

I learned about Malta’s History (during my presentation to the Class to convince them to go to Malta) and had fun swimming in the pools, jumping from on hotel balcony to another to go with my Friends to skinny-dip in the Mediterranean at Midnight, etc.

 

First They Came

2 years ago I wrote this:

First they came for Georgia and I didn't speak out because I wasn't Georgian.

Then they came for Crimea and I didn't speak out because I wasn't Crimean.

Now they come for Ukraine and I don't speak out because I'm not Ukrainian.

Next they will come for Me and there won't be anyone left to speak out.

I still believe in this quote and expanded it to include speaking up for: Women, Homosexuals, Jews and anyone else that is being threatened since first those people are targeted and then I could be.

Kill Me If You Dare

 

I'm watching a funny movie called "Kill Me If You Dare" (Polish: "Zabij mnie, kochani.")

It's about a married couple that win money in the Lottery and think the other is out to kill them for the whole share of the prize.

Close Dreams

 

Guest's Food

 

In Russia and Ukraine I always got food when I was a Guest.

In England I wasn't usually given any food, but I was in Scotland.

In Germany I was sometimes given food as a Guest and sometimes I wasn't. It really depended on the circumstance.

In France I did when I was an Exchange Student, but not as a Regular Guest.

In Switzerland I was given food as a Guest and then expected to pay my share

In Croatia I was given food as a Guest.

In Cyprus I was given food as a Guest.

In Malta I was given too much food.

Note: I wasn't a Guest in anyone's house in: Iceland, Ireland, Northern Ireland, Italy, Bosnia, Montenegro, Austria, Greece or Poland so can't comment about those.

Terezin

I watched a movie called “Terezin” and really liked it.

It’s about an Italian Clarinetist and a Czechoslovak Violinist who fall in love in the Terezin Ghetto during World War 2.

It is based on a True Story.

The Terezin (called Theresienstadt by the Germans) Ghetto was established by the SS during World War II in the fortress town of Terezín, in the Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (German-Occupied Czechoslovakia).

Theresienstadt, opened in 1941, served as a waystation to the Extermination Camps. Its conditions were deliberately engineered to hasten the death of its Prisoners, and the Ghetto also served a propaganda role.

Unlike other Ghettos, the exploitation of Forced Labor was not economically significant.

Theresienstadt was known for its relatively rich cultural life, including concerts, lectures, and clandestine education for Children. There was even a 100,000 volume Ghetto Library.

Prisoners were shipped via Train to the Train Station and made to walk nearly 2 miles to the Ghetto (with many Elderly, Children and Sick dying along the way.) Upon arrival the Germans took all the personal possessions of the people.

144,000 Men, Women and Children were held at Theresienstadt and were deported from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Denmark, Czechoslovakia, etc.

33,000 Men, Women and Children died in Theresienstadt with another 88,000 deported from Theresienstadt to the Death Camps in German-Occupied Poland and murdered there.

The Nazi German Red Cross visited Theresienstadt in June 1943 and noted the overcrowding and disease, but nothing came of the report.

The International Red Cross then decided to visit Theresienstadt in the Summer of 1944 due to pressure from the Danish King Christian X who wanted to know what happened to the Danish Jews deported from German-Occupied Denmark.

Beforehand the Germans embarked on a "Beautification" (German: Verschönerung) Campaign to prepare the Ghetto for the Red Cross visit.

Many "Prominent" Prisoners and Danish Jews were re-housed in private, superior quarters. The streets were renamed and cleaned; sham shops and a school were set up; the SS encouraged the Prisoners to perform an increasing number of cultural activities, which exceeded that of an ordinary town in peacetime.

 As part of the preparations, transports increased to the Death Camps -  targeting the Sick, the Elderly, and Disabled People who had no place in the German Ghetto Propaganda.

On June 23, 1944 the International Red Cross toured the Theresienstadt Ghetto in a limo for 8 hours and watched a soccer game and performance of the Children's opera “Brundibár.”

The Red Cross Swiss Representative, Maurice Rossel, noted, wrongly, that the Theresienstadt Ghetto was a model and clean place.

After the International Red Cross visited the Theresienstadt Ghetto most of the people they saw there were deported to the Auschwitz Death Camp in German-Occupied Poland.

They were kept in the Theresienstadt Family Camp (Czech: Terezínský rodinný tábor, German: Theresienstädter Familienlager) from September 1943-July 1944.

The Germans hoped to use these Prisoners in case the International Red Cross decided to visit Auschwitz too.

Only the Nazi German Red Cross visited Auschwitz in February 1944.

Unlike the other Prisoners of Auschwitz those in the Family Camp, Men Women and Children, were not selected for the Gas Chambers or Forced Labor, they kept their own clothes and were given regular Red Cross Food Packages.

600 Children were held the in the Family Camp and were given underground education to keep them busy by the German Jew, Fredy Hirsch, who had done the same for the Children in the Theresienstadt Ghetto.

Those in the Family Camp were made to send letters and post cards to their Friends and Relatives across Europe telling how they were healthy and happy at Auschwitz.

On March 8, 1944 the 1^st Liquidation of the Family Camp occurred. 3,792 Men, Women and Children (including Freddy Hirsch) were murdered in the Gas Chambers that night.

On July 18, 1944 the 2^nd Liquidation of the Family Camp occurred. 6,5000 Men, Women and Children were murdered in the Gas Chambers.

Of the 17,517 Czechoslovak Jews deported to the Family Camp, only 1,294 survived the war.

The Soviet Red Army liberated Theresienstadt in May 1945 with 1,500 Prisoners dying after liberation from sickness, disease, or starvation.

Czechoslovak Authorities prosecuted several SS members who had served at Theresienstadt, including all three Commandants. Seidl and Rahm were both tried, convicted, and executed for their crimes, Seidl in Austria and Rahm in Czechoslovakia.

Convicted in absentia and sentenced to death, Burger managed to evade arrest and lived under a false name in West Germany until his death in 1991. The Czech Gendarme Commander, Theodor Janeček, died in prison in 1946 while awaiting trial.

 A Czech Court in Litoměřice found a perimeter Guard, Miroslaus Hasenkopf, guilty of treason and sentenced him to 15 years imprisonment; he died in prison in 1951.

In 1947, it was decided to convert the Small Fortress into a Memorial to the victims of Nazi persecution.

Due to Soviet Communist Military Occupation from 1945-1990) and the Czechoslovak Communist Dictatorship (1948-1990) Jews were not allowed to be mentioned on Holocaust Memorials at Theresienstadt or anywhere behind the Iron Curtain.

The Terezín Ghetto Museum was inaugurated in October 1991, after the Velvet Revolution ended Communist rule in Czechoslovakia, as part of the 50th Anniversary commemorations of the former Ghetto.

 The Museum is funded by the Czech Ministry of Culture and includes a section devoted to researching the history of Theresienstadt.

250,000 People visit Theresienstadt every year.

2: War Fatigue

 

^ Ukraine has been fighting Russia for 10 years (since March 2014.)

Ukraine has been partially occupied by Russia for 10 years (since March 2014.)

Ukrainians have been dying from the Russians for 10 years (since March 2014.)

Russia’s Full-Scale Invasion of Ukraine is now 2 years old, but Russia’s War in Ukraine is 10 years old.

If you, a Non-Ukrainian, think you have War Fatigue hearing about Ukraine think about what the Ukrainians actually going through the War are dealing with.

The US Congress (especially the House Republicans who are currently on vacation) need to stop their petty In-Fighting between themselves and their petty fighting between the Other Party and pass funding to help Ukraine.

If Ukraine doesn’t get the Weapons, the Money and the Medical Supplies they need Ukraine won’t be able to stop Russia and Putin won’t stop at Ukraine.

No one is asking any American Politician to do anything dangerous (like risk their lives) to help Ukraine. All they have to do is raise their hand in a “Yes” vote. ^

2: Trudeau

From the Prime Minister’s Website:

“Prime Minister visits Kyiv and announces additional support for Ukraine”

Two years ago today, Vladimir Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine and with it, unleashed an attack on democracy, freedom, and the rules-based international order. Despite Russia’s relentless assault, Ukrainians are standing strong, and Canada will stand with them, for as long as it takes.

The Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, is visiting Ukraine today, alongside international partners, to reaffirm Canada’s ongoing and unwavering support for Ukraine.

As part of this visit, Prime Minister Trudeau and the President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, held a bilateral meeting to discuss the situation on the ground and Ukraine’s needs over the coming months. The two leaders signed a new, historic agreement on security cooperation between Canada and Ukraine to establish a strategic security partnership.

The agreement builds on the G7 Joint Declaration of Support for Ukraine, and outlines key, long-term security commitments for Canada to continue supporting Ukraine as it defends its sovereignty and territorial integrity, protects its people, and rebuilds its economy for the future. As part of this commitment, Canada will provide $3.02 billion in critical financial and military support to Ukraine in 2024.

In addition, the Prime Minister announced new support for Ukraine’s resilience and recovery efforts. This includes:

$75 million in peace and security assistance, which includes demining, cyber support, and intelligence support.

$15 million in preservation assistance, specifically supporting the completion of the National Museum of the Holodomor-Genocide in Kyiv, helping preserve the memory of victims and survivors of the Holodomor, a systemic and heinous campaign of deliberate starvation by the Soviet regime that killed millions across Ukraine in 1932 and 1933.

The Prime Minister also announced the allocation of funding to the following:

Up to $39 million in development assistance, to provide access to essential mental health services for vulnerable populations, help build food systems that are more resilient, and support efforts by local communities toward reconstruction and recovery.

Over $22 million in humanitarian assistance, to support trusted United Nations and Red Cross partners in delivering critical assistance, including emergency health interventions, protection services, shelter, water, sanitation, and food, as well as the promotion of respect for international humanitarian law.

Over $18 million in peace, security, and stabilization assistance, to support projects ranging from demining, to reducing threats from nuclear or radiological materials and chemical weapons, to countering disinformation.

While in Ukraine, Prime Minister Trudeau joined President Zelenskyy, the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, the Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni, and the Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo, to visit Hostomel Airport and the Wall of Remembrance of the Fallen for Ukraine, where they paid tribute to the countless brave Ukrainians who have been killed, injured, or displaced since the start of Russia’s war of aggression.

This day serves as a reminder of what Ukraine is fighting for – the values of peace, justice, and democracy. To the civilians-turned-soldiers fighting to protect their homeland, the volunteers providing care to those injured, and all Ukrainians who remain defiant in the face of Russia’s attacks, know that Canada is with you. We will continue to work closely with our Allies and international partners to support Ukraine and Ukrainians as they continue to fight for their freedom, for their independence, and for democracy.

Quotes

“When Putin ordered his tanks across the Ukrainian border, he thought Kyiv would fall; that President Zelenskyy would cave; that the free world would stand by. Two years on, Ukrainians are resolute as they defend democracy, freedom, and their identity – and Canada’s support is unwavering. Today, standing shoulder to shoulder with our Allies and partners, Canada committed to further assistance, including military and humanitarian support, for Ukraine. We will stand with Ukraine with whatever it takes, for as long as it takes. Slava Ukraini!”

The Rt. Hon. Justin Trudeau, Prime Minister of Canada

“As the brave people of Ukraine continue their heroic resistance against Putin’s illegal and barbaric invasion, after two long years of brutal fighting, Canada is unwavering in our support for Ukraine. Today we stand united and say to the people of Ukraine: We will keep the faith. We will never abandon you. Our determination is absolute. Slava Ukraini!”

The Hon. Chrystia Freeland, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance

“On the second anniversary of Russia’s illegal, full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we salute the exemplary courage and strength of the people of Ukraine. Canada will always stand with them in their fight for freedom. Today’s agreement demonstrates Canada’s commitment to providing Ukraine with the assistance that it needs to fight against Russian aggression and win. Ukraine’s fight is our fight too, and we will be there for Ukrainians until they win this war.”

The Hon. Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence

Quick Facts

This is Prime Minister Trudeau’s third visit to Ukraine since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion on February 24, 2022. The Prime Minister was accompanied for this visit by the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, Chrystia Freeland, and the Minister of National Defence, Bill Blair.

In Ukraine, the Prime Minister met bilaterally and multilaterally with:

The President of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy

The President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen

The Prime Minister of Italy, Giorgia Meloni

The Prime Minister of Belgium, Alexander De Croo

The measures announced today build on other recent announcements, including:

New sanctions targeting over 160 individuals and entities that are part of Russia’s military-industrial sector and have helped facilitate sanctions evasion.

Enacting groundbreaking legislation that enables the assets of sanctioned individuals and individuals to be seized, for the benefit of Ukraine.

Working with G7 allies to ensure that Russian central banks assets remain frozen in our jurisdictions until Russia compensates Ukraine for the damage it has caused.

Contributions of $60 million to the Ukraine Defense Contact Group Air Force Capability Coalition to support the setup of a sustainable F-16 fighter aircraft capability in Ukraine and over $273 million in new equipment for Canadian Armed Forces personnel in Latvia, where Canada leads the North Atlantic Treaty Organization’s enhanced Forward Presence Battle Group.

Canada’s co-chairing, with Ukraine, of the new International Coalition for the Return of Ukrainian Children, which coordinates international efforts to bring Ukrainian children – who were unlawfully deported or forcibly transferred by Russia – home to their families and communities.

An investment of over $475,000 to support Pro Bono Ontario’s Ukrainian Refugee Legal Relief Initiative, which assists Ukrainian nationals seeking refuge in Canada as a result of Russia’s armed invasion of Ukraine.

Since the beginning of 2022, Canada has committed over $13.3 billion in funding to support Ukraine. This includes:

$4 billion in military assistance, such as M777 howitzers, Leopard 2 main battle tanks, armoured combat support vehicles, hundreds of thousands of rounds of ammunition, high-resolution drone cameras, thermal clothing, body armour, fuel, and more.

$7.4 billion in financial support.

$352.5 million in humanitarian assistance, including support for emergency health interventions, protection services, and essentials such as shelter, water, sanitation, and food. Programming also addresses child protection, mental health support, and prevention and response to sexual and gender-based violence.

$186 million in development assistance, such as $15 million from Canada’s $100 million contribution to the Canada-International Finance Corporation Facility for Resilient Food Systems.

$198 million in security and stabilization assistance.

Canadian Armed Forces members are supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the United Kingdom and Poland under Operation UNIFIER, providing training on a range of military skills. Between 2015 and 2024, Canada trained more than 40,000 members of the Armed Forces of Ukraine as part of this operation. They have also been assisting with the delivery of military aid for Ukraine from Canada and on behalf of our Allies and partners.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Canada has welcomed more than 220,000 Ukrainians. We are helping Ukrainian families find a safe, temporary home and have put support services in place for their arrival. This includes temporary financial assistance and access to federally funded settlement services, such as language training and employment-related services.

Canada and Ukraine have long been steadfast partners and close friends. In 1991, Canada became the first Western country to recognize Ukraine’s independence. Today, 1.3 million people of Ukrainian descent call Canada home – the largest Ukrainian diaspora in the Western world. In 2022, total bilateral trade between our two countries was valued at over $421 million.

^ All of this: the Visits and the Aid will help Ukraine. ^

https://www.pm.gc.ca/en/news/news-releases/2024/02/24/prime-minister-visits-kyiv-and-announces-additional-support-ukraine

2: Maps

 

2: King Charles

From The Royal Family’s Instagram:

The determination and strength of the Ukrainian people continues to inspire, as the unprovoked attack on their land, their lives and livelihoods enters a third, tragic, year.

Despite the tremendous hardship and pain inflicted upon them, Ukrainians continue to show the heroism with which the world associates them so closely. Theirs is true valour, in the face of indescribable aggression. I have felt this personally in the many meetings I have had with Ukrainians since the start of the war, from President Zelenskyy and Mrs Zelenska, to new army recruits training here in the United Kingdom.

I continue to be greatly encouraged that the United Kingdom and our allies remain at the forefront of international efforts to support Ukraine at this time of such great suffering and need. My heart goes out to all those affected, as I remember them in my thoughts and prayers.

- Charles R.

A message from His Majesty The King, marking two years of conflict in Ukraine.

2: Still Fighting On

 

Top Picture:  February 24, 2022 Kyiv, Ukraine.

Bottom Picture: February 24, 2024 Kyiv Ukraine.

Still there and still fighting 2 years on.

Navalny's Body Returned

 From the BBC:

“Navalny's body returned to mother, spokeswoman says”

The body of leading Russian opposition figure Alexei Navalny has been returned to his mother, his spokeswoman says. In a post on X, Kira Yarmysh thanked everybody who had demanded that the authorities hand over his remains. "The funeral is yet to take place," she wrote.

Navalny's mother Lyudmila had reportedly been told to agree to a "secret" burial. If she refused, he would be buried at the prison colony where he died. She has spend the last week in the town close to the prison where he died, trying to first confirm the location of his body then demanding it be returned to her. After signing a death certificate saying he had died of natural causes, she was then given three hours to agree to a "secret" funeral for her son. If she didn't agree he would be buried within the grounds of the prison where he died, Ms Yarmysh said his mother was told. However, Lyudmila had apparently refused to negotiate with the authorities. Ms Yarmysh said the funeral plans were still not clear. "We don't know whether the authorities will interfere with it being carried out in the way the family wants and as Alexei deserves," she said.

Earlier on Saturday, Navalny's widow, Yulia, accused Vladimir Putin of holding her late husband's body "hostage" and demanded its release without conditions. She again accused the Russian president of being behind the death of her husband. The Kremlin has denied the allegations, calling Western reaction to the death "hysterical". Navalny died on 16 February in a Russian prison inside the Arctic Circle. For years he was the most high-profile critic of the Russian leader. In August 2020, the former opposition leader was poisoned using the Novichok nerve agent by a team of would-be assassins from the Russian secret services. Airlifted to Germany, he recovered there before returning to Russia in January 2021, where he was imprisoned. Attempts at commemorating his death have been met by a heavy-handed response from Russian authorities, with makeshift monuments cleared and hundreds arrested.

^ Even in death Putin can’t stop Navalny. ^

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-68393412

2: Ukraine Soldiers

 February 24, 2024 is the 2 year Anniversary of the start of Russia’s War in Ukraine here are part of the series of pictures of different aspects of the War: This one is about Ukrainian Soldiers defending their homes.

They say a picture speaks a 1,000 words so hopefully we will see the true horror and devastation that Ukrainians are dealing with because of the Russians and we continue to support Ukraine.

2: Ukraine Damage

February 24, 2024 is the 2 year Anniversary of the start of Russia’s War in Ukraine here are pictures of different aspects of the War: this shows the damage throughout Ukraine caused by the Russians.

They say a picture speaks a 1,000 words so hopefully we will see the true horror and devastation that Ukrainians are dealing with because of the Russians and we continue to support Ukraine.

One Account

From AF Times:

“VA will no longer send veterans’ benefits to multiple bank accounts”

Veterans will no longer be able to use multiple bank accounts for different Veterans Affairs benefits under new anti-fraud measures being rolled out by department officials over the next two months. The move is expected to affect about 50,000 current GI Bill users who also receive other veterans stipends, but VA leaders are promising they will not cut off benefits to anyone as a result of the changes. Instead, if veterans fail to consolidate their bank accounts by April 20, department processors will begin sending all of the benefits to a single account. Still, such a move could cause significant financial problems for individuals expecting to find the money in a specific account to cover bills and expenses. Officials said they will spend the next two months aggressively contacting the thousands of student veterans potentially impacted by the new rule, and explaining the reasons behind it.

“Maintaining a single account for the payment of this benefit provides an added layer of security against the increasing threats of fraud we experience as part of our daily lives,” VA Under Secretary for Benefits Joshua Jacobs told reporters on Wednesday. “Veterans have earned these benefits through their service to the nation. And ensuring they’re safeguarded from those with malicious intent is a significant feature of this single account initiative.” VA officials said veterans may use different bank accounts for different benefits for a variety of reasons, including ease of bill paying and simply forgetting to update old accounts. But Jacobs warned that such an arrangement makes it easier for fraud or theft, and harder for VA officials to provide oversight of the funds. He said the changes come as “we are working to modernize our payment systems so we can protect the integrity of the veterans benefits” across multiple systems. VA has enacted similar bank account mandates in the past, including in 2017, when Veteran Readiness and Employment benefits were required to be sent to the same place as medical stipend payouts. Veterans impacted by the change can update their bank records or find out more information about the new policy through the department’s website.

^ As long as the VA doesn’t stop making benefit payments to Veterans this new measure seems ok. ^

https://www.airforcetimes.com/veterans/2024/02/22/va-will-no-longer-send-veterans-benefits-to-multiple-bank-accounts/

500 Sanctioned

From Reuters:

“US imposes sweeping sanctions against Russia, targets over 500 people and entities”

The United States on Friday issued sweeping sanctions to mark the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, targeting over 500 people and entities as Washington seeks to increase pressure on Moscow. The measures targeted the Mir payment system, Russian financial institutions and its military industrial base, sanctions evasion, future energy production and other areas. They also included officials involved in the death of Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, the Treasury and State departments said in statements. The action seeks to hold Russia to account over the war and the death of Navalny, U.S. President Joe Biden said in a statement, as Washington looks to continue to support Ukraine even as it faces acute shortages of ammunition and U.S. military aid has been delayed for months in Congress. "They will ensure Putin pays an even steeper price for his aggression abroad and repression at home," Biden said of the sanctions.

The U.S. Treasury Department targeted nearly 300 people and entities, while the State Department hit over 250 and the Commerce Department added over 90 companies to the Entity List. That was an increase from last year, when the U.S. imposed sanctions on over 200 individuals and entities while Commerce targeted 90 companies for the first anniversary of the war. Friday's sanctions from the United States came in partnership with those from European Union member nations and Britain. The actions are the latest of thousands of targets announced by the United States and its allies following Russia's Feb. 24, 2022, invasion of Ukraine, which has killed tens of thousands and destroyed cities.

Russia's export-focused, $2.2-trillion economy has proven more resilient to the unprecedented sanctions than either Moscow or the West anticipated. Biden's administration has exhausted money previously approved for Ukraine, and a request for additional funds is languishing in the Republican-controlled House of Representatives. "We must sustain our support for Ukraine even as we weaken Russia’s war machine. It’s critical that Congress steps up to join our allies around the world in giving Ukraine the means to defend itself and its freedom against Putin’s barbarous assault," Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.

PAYMENT SYSTEM The U.S. Treasury Department said in a statement it imposed sanctions on state-owned National Payment Card System, the operator of the Mir payment system. Mir payments cards have become more important since its U.S. rivals suspended operations in Russia after Moscow sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine, and their payment cards which were issued in the country stopped working abroad. "The Government of Russia's proliferation of Mir has permitted Russia to build out a financial infrastructure that enables Russian efforts to evade sanctions and reconstitute severed connections to the international financial system," the Treasury statement said. Also targeted were over a dozen Russian banks, investment firms, venture capital funds, and fintech companies, including SPB Bank, which is owned by SPB Exchange, Russia's second-largest stock exchange which specializes in trading foreign shares.

FUTURE ENERGY, SANCTIONS EVASION The United States also targeted Russia's future energy production and exports, taking further aim at Arctic-2 LNG project in Siberia. In November, Washington imposed sanctions on a major entity involved in the development, operation and ownership of the massive project. On Friday, the State Department targeted Russia's Zvezda shipbuilding company, which it said is involved in the construction of up to 15 highly specialized LNG tankers intended for use in support of Arctic-2 LNG exports. U.S. Deputy Treasury Secretary Wally Adeyemo told reporters that Treasury plans to level additional sanctions later on Friday over the G7's $60 price cap on Russian oil that he said will increase the costs for Russia to use an aging "shadow fleet" of tankers to get oil to markets mainly in India and China. The United States also imposed sanctions on entities based in China, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, Kazakhstan and Liechtenstein over the evasion of western sanctions on Russia and backfilling, including for sending items Moscow relies on for its weapons systems. The action comes as Washington has increasingly sought to crack down on Russia's circumvention of its measures. The move also targeted a network through which Russia, in cooperation with Iran, has acquired and produced drones.

NAVALNY'S DEATH The State Department on Friday also targeted three Russian Federal Penitentiary Service officials it accused of being connected to Navalny's death, including its deputy director who it said reportedly instructed prison staff to exert harsher treatment on Navalny. Navalny, 47, fell unconscious and died suddenly last week after a walk at the "Polar Wolf" penal colony above the Arctic Circle where he was serving a three-decade sentence, the prison service said. Biden directly blamed Russian leader Vladimir Putin. The U.S. actions also targeted individuals involved in what the State Department called the forcible transfer or deportation of Ukrainian children to camps promoting indoctrination in Russia, Belarus and Crimea.

^ Sanctions against Russia are good, but Military and Financial Aid for Ukraine are needed more. ^

https://www.reuters.com/world/biden-announces-new-sanctions-vs-russia-two-years-into-ukraine-war-2024-02-23/

Traute LaFrenz

 Traute Lafrenz

Traute Lafrenz Page (née Lafrenz) was a German Resistance Activist who was a Member of the White Rose Anti-Nazi Group during World War II.

Lafrenz was born on May 3, 1919 in Hamburg, Germany to Carl and Hermine Lafrenz, a Civil Servant and a Homemaker; she was the youngest of three Sisters.

Together with Heinz Kucharski, Lafrenz studied under Erna Stahl at the Lichtwarkschule a Liberal Arts School in Hamburg. When Coeducation was abolished in 1937, Lafrenz moved to a Convent School, from which she and classmate Margaretha Rothe graduated in 1938. Together with Rothe, Lafrenz began to study Medicine at the University of Hamburg in the Summer semester of 1939.

After the semester she worked in Pomerania, where she met Alexander Schmorell who had begun studying in the Summer of 1939 at the Hamburg University Medical School but continued his studies from 1939 to 1940 in Munich.

In May 1941, Lafrenz moved to Munich to study, and while there she got to know Hans Scholl and Christoph Probst. In her opposition to the Nazi Regime, she found inspiration in the writings of Rudolf Steiner. She attended many talks and discussions of the White Rose Group, including those with Kurt Huber. She and Hans Scholl, one of the group's leaders, were briefly romantically involved.

In late 1942, she brought the third White Rose flyer to Hamburg and distributed them with her former Classmate Heinz Kucharski. When Hans and Sophie Scholl were arrested at the University of Munich on February 18, 1943 for spreading anti-War leaflets, Lafrenz was also put under investigation by the Gestapo.

She was arrested, along with Alexander Schmorell and Kurt Huber, on March 15th. During her interrogation by the Gestapo, Lafrenz succeeded in disguising the full extent of her involvement in the distribution of leaflets. As a result, she was sentenced to one year in Prison on April 19, 1943, by the Volksgerichtshof (People's Court, first Senate) for her role as a confidante.

 After her release, she was arrested and imprisoned once again by the Gestapo. Her trial was set for April 1945. Had it proceeded, she most likely would have been sentenced to death, but the Allies liberated the Prison where she was held three days before her trial was supposed to commence, likely saving her life.

In 1947, she immigrated to the United States, completing her Medical Studies at Saint Joseph's Hospital in San Francisco, California. In the United States, she met Vernon Page, an Ophthalmologist. They married in 1947 and had four Children together.

Together they formed a Medical Practice in Hayfork, California. They were together until his death in 1995.

After moving to Chicago, she served from 1972 to 1994 as head of Esperanza School, a private, Therapeutic Day School serving students with Developmental Disabilities between the ages of 5 and 21. She was involved in the Anthroposophical Movement in the United States for more than half a century.

She retired and lived on Yonges Island near Meggett, South Carolina.

In 2019, she received the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany on her 100th birthday and was praised by German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier, who called Lafrenz a "hero of freedom and humanity".

On March 6, 2023, Lafrenz died on Yonges Island, South Carolina, at age 103, as the last living Member of the White Rose Group.