The Gartner Lecture Honor Series featured author and filmmakerJoshua Greene, who indulged an overcrowded audience with details ofhis latest work, Justice at Dachau: The Trials of an AmericanProsecutor on Tuesday night at the Meadows Museum.Slide showvisuals consisted of Dachau artwork depicting the Nazis inhumanetreatment of World War II prisoners.
Using a different approach, Greene chose artwork as visuals toengage our imaginations while he described the horrific nature ofNazi war crimes. Greene’s choice to use artwork, in place ofgraphic photos, stems from his disapproval of the media’stendencies to exploit war images.
As a society where freedom of the press is exercised to thefullest, Greene said he believes the media subjects the public tooverly explicit images, such as dead bodies, which numbs thepublic’s sensitivity to the true horrific nature of theseimages.
During his presentation, Greene also discussed “thelargest legal enterprise in recorded history” through thestory of American chief prosecutor William Denson.
Denson’s life was told through original letters,photographs, and the legalities of the Dachau trials.
Denson convicted more than 1,600 people of voluntarilycontributing to the Nazi’s regime using the law concept”common design.” This law refers to the idea thatpeople are guilty by association.
Denson’s due process of law and integrity through theDachau trials set the precedents for law in war trials today.
Greene summarized Denson’s accomplishments by saying,”The only thing that stands between us and integrity is ourown conscience.”
Preceding the lecture, Greene hosted a private dinner withprominent guests and five honor students. Wednesday morning Greeneperformed Dachau trial scenes before two University Honors rhetoricclasses.
Following the skits, Greene held a book signing in the SMUBookstore at noon.
For more information about Joshua Greene or Justice at Dachauvisit justiceatdachau.com.
For more information about the Holocaust, visit the DallasHolocaust Memorial Center online atdallasholocaustmemorialcenter.org.
The next Gartner Lecture Series will feature “GreenChemistry: Sustaining aHigh Technology Civilization” withTerry Collins, on March 2.
All lectures are free and open to the public. For moreinformation visit smu.edu/honors/gartner.
