It Can’t Happen Here: Today's Special Comment by my 72-year-old friend

By GottaLaff

Pam Pilger

I have a very caring, impassioned Twitter pal who goes by the name 42bkdodgr, who shares his feelings about recent events here at TPC from time to time. I always welcome his submissions, because he always has wonderful insights.

His latest effort concerns anti-Semitism and the recent increase in other expressions of hate we're all too aware of (examples can be found here and here).

Take it away, 42bkdodgr:

In past comments I wrote about the growing hate, racism and the erosion of our democracy in this country. Recent events have shown me it is still growing.

In the past week we have seen protesters (1) displaying swastikas, (2) showing pictures of President Obama in Nazi like uniform, calling him a Hitler, depicted him as the Joker, (3) armed (legally) with pistols and assault weapons in the crowd and (4) mob rule at Town Hall meetings.

But today I saw a video that made my blood boil. At a town hall meeting, an Israeli Jew was being interviewed. He was explaining to the reporter the benefits and treatment received under Israel’s health care system. A woman in the crowd began to yell “Heil Hitler” at the Israeli. The Israeli was shocked and said to the woman “How can you call me that, I’m a Jew?!”

If there is one thing that gets a Jew extremely upset is the display of the swastika and the Hitler salute. I have had the swastika sign etched into two cars I had parked in my driveway on New Year’s Eve some years ago, so I have experienced this first hand.

Some may say these demonstrators are just ignorant or kooks, to which I respond, that’s what they said about Adolph Hitler and his goons in 1933.

This hatred may go on for the next few years, because whether the Health Care Reform Bill is passed or not, the hate will continue. If HCR is passed, the hatred will intensify; if it is defeated the haters will become bolder in their actions. It’s a no-win situation.

Until such time the Republicans act with some back bone and tell the conservative media, the hate and misinformation they are spewing and encouraging mob rule only splits this country farther apart. This is not how a democracy works.

While I titled my comment “It Can’t Happen Here”, I’m beginning to believe the foundation for it to happen has begun.

Well done and thank you, 42bkdodgr, that needed to be said.