By Andy Brack
Perhaps the question of a generation is, “Who would have ever thought that young leaders of any major political party in America would secretly message each other that they loved Adolf Hitler?”
Since World War II, it’s been a given that supporters of freedom despised the former German fascist leader after he plunged the world into a global killing field. An estimated 75 million people died – 25 million in the military and 50 million civilians, including 6 million Jews exterminated by Hitler.
For decades, it didn’t matter what your political party was when it came to Hitler and the Third Reich. If there was one thing – just one thing – that everybody could agree on, it was that Hitler was despicable and what he did only needs to be in the history books to remind people how horrible we can be to each other. So it won’t happen again.
Fast forward to today. Just about everybody still will agree Hitler was a monster authoritarian, and that World War II was an Axis slaughter brought on by Germany, Japan and Italy.
So imagine the surprise of a nation last week when Politico published a story about how young wannabe Republican leaders glorified Hitler in a secret group chatroom filled with hate, antisemitism, bigotry and homophobia. And it wasn’t just a handful of people with scattered comments. The monthslong session stretching from Kansas to New York included 2,900 pages of Telegram chat and thousands of exchanges of vitriol that would make your skin peel.
“I love Hitler,” one Young Republican organizational leader chirped. “I’m ready to watch people burn now,” another said. And yet another: “They love the watermelon people.”
Disgusting.
America is becoming coarser, thanks to a grab-em-by-the-p***y attitude coming from the top. Allies who once glorified American freedom now are stepping back, cutting skeptical and angry side glances because of what’s happening here. The constant barrages of Washington lies, threats, theatrics, bullying, layoffs, firings and now a shutdown are taking an emotional toll on everyday Americans.
And that’s what the new fascists, like this subset of Young Republicans, want. It is unbelievable their behavior got little more than a slap on the wrist from a far from apologetic Vice President J.D. Vance: “That’s what kids do,” he said.
No, it’s not. It’s abnormal. But President Trump – as candidate, past president and current president – has been normalizing this kind of vitriol for years. It’s wrong. It’s un-American. We shouldn’t allow it to fester.
Some GOP leaders have been quick to vilify the kind of social-media-fueled bigotry that led to where we are. If this kind of castigation of improper behavior doesn’t continue, realize how this kind of mess could spread. Remember, this is the same kind of junk that spurred racist murderer Dylann Roof to kill nine people in a Charleston church in 2015.
For years, the American people have been absorbing this emotional turmoil being spewed in Washington and legislatures across the country. It’s wrong and people shouldn’t accept any normalization of hate and fear. All Americans need to stand up and let their leaders know that it’s time for real change. It’s time for civility and policy, not fear and division.
Last week’s commentary highlighted how so-called antifa is nothing more than a made-up movement by Trumpies to generate distrust. Fueling fear isn’t what America needs. We need to get back to what the Founding Fathers wanted – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, not despotism.
Frank Serpico, a New York detective lionized in a movie with his last name, once said, “The fight for justice against corruption is never easy. It never has been and never will be. It exacts a toll on ourselves, our families, our friends, and especially our children. In the end, I believe, as in my case, the price we pay is well worth holding on to our dignity.”
Don’t let the neo-fascists win. Speak out. If our ancestors believed democracy was easy, we’d be speaking German and Japanese.
Andy Brack is editor and publisher of the Charleston City Paper and Statehouse Report. Have a comment? Send it to feedback@statehousereport.com.
