By Carol Lucas
I picked up my most recent edition of The Island News with great anticipation because I saw that many of my fellow columnists had contributed to this issue as well as others I hadn’t seen before. After reading each column, some more than once, I decided to back-burner a partially-written piece I had been working on, and instead go with a response to those that begged for my attention.
Terry Manning chose to address the idea that “who we choose to lead matters.” I might add that I believe who we choose also reflects who we are, or maybe better expressed with the old adage that “one is judged by the company he keeps.”
Terry references a podcast he heard while driving. This featured a conversation between Joe Biden and Conan O’Brien in which the subject of the President’s stutter came up. Biden was just a child, but with his mother’s guidance, he came to understand that an impediment didn’t define him.
But more importantly, the President said this: “In our family we weren’t allowed to make fun of anyone, regardless of how mean they were to us.”
Anyone reading this surely was reminded of the shot of Donald Trump mimicking a physically impaired reporter, early in his campaign. Apparently, the former President didn’t learn that lesson as a child.
Jimmy Carter was also a part of Mr. Manning’s column. I have always maintained that Carter was entirely too moral to occupy the Presidency. I can vividly remember the various comments, mostly condescending, when President Carter admitted that he had “lusted in his heart.” The man was simply being truthful, a lost art in politics, but that made him the object of ridicule.
Terry also referenced the incident between a woman and John McCain where the former wanted to declare that Obama was an Arab. McCain shut her down instantly with words that stated the decency of Obama, but even more so, emphasized the decency of McCain. But then, we need to remember that McCain was just one of those losers who let himself be caught!
Kudos, Mr. Manning, for reminding us that indeed, leading our country requires compassion, not bullying; empathy, not disdain; scruples over self-adulation.
The next article I read was that of Jim Dickson. Now if you, the reader, have read this newspaper over a period of time, you have probably determined somewhere along the way that Mr. Dickson and I reflect opposite ends of the political spectrum. That is good, as it reflects a valuable source of varying opinions, just as a great newspaper should.
Mr. Dickson declares in his title, “The Sky is falling … don’t you believe it.” Now what I am about to say is in no way meant to be confrontational, nor is it put forth with anything other than respect for the author, his opinion, and certainly respect for his service to our country. What I am going to begin with is this: Mr. Dickson, while the sky may not be falling, the clouds are certainly lowering, and I want to tell you why I think your attempt to minimize what is confronting our country may be naive.
First, the emphasis on your belief that ours is not a democracy but rather a Representative Constitutional Republic sent me to the Internet immediately. I admit that while my minor in college was history, I knew I needed a refresher. And indeed, you are right on target as I discovered the following: “By definition, a republic is a representative form of government that is ruled according to a charter, or constitution, and a democracy is a government that is ruled according to the will of the majority. Although these forms of government are often confused, they are quite different.
You went on to say that it irks you when people do not know the difference, and that is understandable. But more important to my way of thinking isn’t the fine line between the two, but rather the single word, “dictatorship.” I might point out it was Mr. Trump’s threat of a dictatorship (remember it was he who used that word – shouldn’t we ask ourselves why he would choose that particular word?) that generated our concern. Furthermore, his comments on the Constitution cry out for our attention.
“A Massive Fraud of this type and magnitude allows for the termination of all rules, regulations, and articles, even those found in the Constitution,” Trump wrote. “Our great ‘Founders’ did not want, and would not condone, False & Fraudulent Elections!”
It was Liz Cheney, decidedly conservative, who said, “Donald Trump believes we should terminate “all rules, regulations and articles, even those found in the Constitution” to overturn the 2020 election. That was his view on 1/6 and remains his view today. No honest person can now deny that Trump is an enemy of the Constitution.”
Thus I humbly submit that Mr. Trump will attack a Representative Constitutional Republic or a democracy if it benefits him and leads the way to his dictatorship.
So, who are we to believe? Donald? Liz? With the election mere months ahead, I respectfully suggest we pay attention to the stance of the apparent GOP candidate, and take him at his word.
There are those who want to compare the actions and rhetoric of Donald Trump to that of Adolf Hitler. In an effort to discover whether or not this is valid, again I hit the Internet to find fair coverage of Hitler’s rise. I will attempt to make the timeline as brief and succinct as possible.
Hitler’s entry into politics from the German Army occurred in 1920. In the German Workers Party he undertook responsibility for publicity and propaganda, and changed the party’s name to the National Socialist German Workers Party, (or Nazi for short).
In 1921, he became the new leader of the Nazis, and by 1923 he, along with other right-wing factions, attempted to overthrow the Bavarian government with an armed uprising. The following day, the Nazis marched in the streets, and the police opened fire. Hitler escaped but was captured, tried for treason and served 9 months.
It was during his imprisonment that he began dictating his thoughts to Rudolf Hess, which emerged in the book Mein Kampf (my struggle). It is a mixture of autobiography, political ideology and an examination of the techniques of propaganda.
In 1925, Hitler reestablished the Nazi party, and by 1930 in the general election, the Nazi party increased its representation in parliament from 14 to 107. He was leader of the second largest party in Germany. Two years later he became a German citizen, thus enabling him to run for President, and a year after that he became chancellor of a coalition government.
It was at this time Hitler sought enactment of The Enabling Act which gave the powers of legislation to Hitler’s cabinet for four years, making him a virtual dictator. He proclaimed the Nazi Party was the only political party permitted in Germany. All other parties and trade unions were disbanded. Individual German states lost any autonomous powers, while Nazi officials became state governors.
In October of 1933, Adolf Hitler withdrew from the League of Nations and tripled the size of the German Army.
I don’t feel it is necessary to go into details of the late 1930s and the emergence of World War II. It is my intent, however, to establish what I believe is a remarkable parallel between the actions of Donald Trump, and those of Adolf Hitler in his climb to a dictatorship.
One need only to look at key ideas like withdrawal from a world organization, propaganda, uprising and treason to gain a sense of purpose in both men.
And so, as the European folktale of “Chicken Little” implies, have the courage, even when it feels like the sky is falling, to do what must be done. This chick(en) intends to vote in the Republican primary for Nikki Haley in an effort to keep that sky intact.
Carol Lucas is a retired high school teacher and a Lady’s Island resident. She is the author of the recently published “A Breath Away: One Woman’s Journey Through Widowhood.”
