Recently I began reading “Red Diapers: Growing Up in the
Communist Left.” The book is a collection of stories and poems
written by children whose parents were associated with various
communist organizations in the United States. While it is divided
into three distinct themes, I believe the most intriguing theme was
the documentation of the impact of political persecution on the
children of parents with communist ties, referred to as red diaper
babies. One of the articles was written by Robert Meeropol, Julius
and Ethel Rosenberg’s youngest son. The Rosenberg case was discussed
often in our Law and Literature course, especially during the Book of
Daniel discussion, and Robert’s older brother, Michael, graciously
spoke to our class and answered various questions.
In his article, “Carry It Forward and Pass It On,” Robert briefly
discusses the best and worst of what it meant to be a red diaper baby.
The worst included his family being torn apart, friends and relatives
refusing to come to the family’s aid, and the ordeals faced by those
who selflessly came to the family’s aid. However, his article
primarily deals with the good that came from their negative ordeal.
Robert wrote of those who came to forward to help despite great risk
to themselves and others who raised a fund for the children that
enabled them to obtain counseling and attend schools. Their
generosity and compassion helped the children to grow up with a
positive attitude toward people and life despite the efforts of some
who wanted to kill any semblance of the Rosenberg legacy.
Robert’s account hit home for me. Though I won’t get into
details, I had close family members who were unjustly persecuted by
the government and Robert’s account of encountering various
compassionate people in the process resonated with me. My ordeal
completely changed my life and there were many friends and family that
completely abandoned my family. Unfortunately, they allowed the media
hype and stories to create a negative image of my family members
despite their years of friendship and familial relations. It was sad
that they allowed themselves to believe that my family members were
capable of such actions. However, there were so many others who have
stepped up and shown their love despite the negativity they have
encountered. Much like Robert, my siblings and I have been blessed to
have been surrounded by wonderful human beings.

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