measuring holocaust denial in the united states - Harvard University

9) Florida (0.67). SOUTH -‐ South Atlantic .... he/she is to hold antisemitic views. Eight percent of college graduates and seven percent of those with.
662KB Sizes 0 Downloads 317 Views
Policy Analysis Exercise Spring 2010

MEASURING  HOLOCAUST  DENIAL           IN  THE  UNITED  STATES  

Written By: Scott Darnell Master in Public Policy Candidate Harvard Kennedy School of Government Expected Graduation Date: May 2010

Submitted To: Aleisa Fishman, Ph.D. and Rebekah Sobel, Ph.D. United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

Professor Robert Blendon Harvard Kennedy School Faculty Advisor

Professor Jeeyang Rhee Baum Harvard Kennedy School Seminar Leader

TABLE  OF  CONTENTS     Acknowledgments    

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙    

2  

Executive  Summary  

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙    

3  

...........................................................................................    

4  

Introduction    and  Background   ͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘͘    

5  

Methodology  

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘͘    

7  

Results  

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘͘    

11  

Purpose  

 

Conclusion  and  Recommendations  

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘͘  

40  

Appendix  1:  Antisemitic  Hate  Group  Descriptions   ͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘  

46  

Appendix  2:  Holocaust  Denial  Groups  on  Facebook  ͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘  

48  

Appendix  3:  Suggested  Survey  Questions  

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙  

49  

͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͙͘͘    

53  

Bibliography    

1  |  P a g e    

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS   I  am  incredibly  fortunate  to  have  had  the  opportunity  to  prepare  this  study  for  the  United  States   Holocaust  Memorial  Museum.    I  deeply  appreciated  the  eagerness  with  which  Dr.  Aleisa  Fishman  and   Dr.  Rebekah  Sobel  embraced  this  project,  and  I  have  been  thankful  for  their  insight  and  assistance   throughout.    I  am  also  thankful  for  a  number  of  people  who  assisted  me  in  my  research,  including  Heidi   Beirich  at  the  Southern  Poverty  Law  Center,  Professor  Nicco  Mele  at  the  Harvard  Kennedy  School  of   Government,  and  Dr.  Jeeyang  Rhee-­‐Baum,  the  leader  of  my  graduate  PAC  seminar  at  the  Kennedy   School.    I  am  especially  grateful  for  the  wise  counsel  provided  by  my  advisor,  Dr.  Robert  Blendon,  and  his   colleague  at  the  Harvard  School  of  Public  Health,  John  Benson.    I  also  extend  a  special  thanks  to  Sheri   Karmiol,  a  professor  at  the  University  of  New  Mexico,  with  whom  I  co-­‐taught  a  course  entitled   ͞DĞŵŽƌŝĞƐŽĨƚŚĞ,ŽůŽĐĂƵƐƚ͟ŝŶϮϬϬϲ͖ŚĞƌƉĂƐƐŝŽŶĨŽƌĞĚƵĐĂƚŝŶŐŽƚŚĞƌƐĂďŽƵƚƚŚĞpersonal  stories  and   lessons  of  the  Holocaust  has  served  as  a  profound  inspiration  to  me.    Above  all,  I  owe  a  tremendous   debt  of  gratitude  to  my  wife,  Alexis,  who  has  been  supportive,  encouraging,  and  patient  throughout  my   work  on  this  project,  as  she  is  each  and  every  day  of  our  life  together.       This  study  is  dedicated  to  the  mission  of  preserving  the  memory  of  those  who  suffered  or  were   killed  during  the  Holocaust.    May  we  forever  heed  the  lessons  of  this  dark  period  in  history  and  extend   to  our  brothers  and  sisters  the  dignity  and  respect  due  to  every  human  being.              

2  |  P a g e    

 

EXECUTIVE  SUMMARY    

This  report  attempts  to  assess  the  level  and  location  of  Holocaust  denial  in  the  United  States  

and  provides  a  snapshot  of  the  situation  in  2010.    It  is  intended  to  inform  and  support  the  recent  efforts   of  the  United  States  Holocaust  Memorial  Museum  (USHMM)  to  more  strategically  and  directly  address   the  problem  of  Holocaust  deni