Once there was a country that was really in the economic doldrums, unemployment was high, national morale was at an all-time low, the government was inept and unable to deal with any of the problems that threatened to destroy the nation.
Just when all seemed lost along came a leader who tapped into the fear that was sweeping the land. He promised in a very loud voice that it was time for leadership that would do something about the miserable situation. He fed the anger the citizenry was feeling and assured them that the country would be great once again . . . greater than it had ever been.
At first he was dismissed as delusional, but soon he was attracting larger and larger crowds. Not everyone bought the message he was selling, but his supporters, encouraged by the inflammatory rhetoric he repeatedly delivered in his speeches, soon began to act with violence against his detractors.
The more the anger increased, the more they were encouraged to get rid of the protesters. Bigotry, hatred, violence, homophobia, racism, vulgarity of the basest sort took center stage and in a remarkably short time, there was no one left to oppose the savage arrogance of the leader.
Doesn’t that sound familiar? But that was another time, another country: the Weimar Republic—1933. No rational person needs an explanation of what happened next. Never in the wildest dreams of most Germans did they understand the seeds of hatred, distrust, bigotry, and discrimination would lead to the deaths of between sixty to eighty-five million people worldwide and the destruction of their county. But it happened. It could happen here.
No one would deny that we have a lot of problems to solve in America but to paint the dark picture that is being bandied about by some who would lead the country is to ignore the evidence to the contrary.
It was Ronald Reagan who first posed the question in 1980, “Are you better off now than you were in 1976?” The same thing might be asked today but the answer would be quite different. We are facing very difficult times on many fronts, but the nation is not on the verge of collapse. Today if you have a conversation with Europeans they are more likely to say we have lost our minds.
One of the most alarming aspects of our country today is how many people are succumbing to a fear monger posing as a savior. It would be wise to remember the words of President FDR when he said that “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself.” I would add to that we should reject those who propagate fear as a tool to win support for their personal gain.
The country is ripe for these seeds to germinate and, if allowed, they will grow into a hideous haven for those who preach these false gospels. If there is a time to stop the menace of America turning into something unrecognizable, it is now. If those who believe in the basic principles of democracy remain apathetic, silent, and don’t vote, then the dreams of our forefathers will go up in smoke. If you don’t believe that, then I suggest you read the first chapters of The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich.
Hayden Hollingsworth