Holocaust Remembrance

How we got there, and warnings for today

I took my son to visit the National Holocaust Museum on Friday, on the first day of Hanukkah, to learn, mourn, and honor the memory of those lost in one of the most horrific periods of history.

Walking through the living memorial for the first time, I couldn’t help but feel like I was observing a distant past that also felt like an inescapable and ominous present.

If you’ve never been, the floors of the museum are arranged from Hitler’s rise in the 1920’s to 1930’s through the end of World War II and the creation of Israel.

This is not a museum to take small children to. The displays are horrifically (but necessarily) graphic. The story follows themes a child cannot understand. 

The parts that struck me most were the events preceding Hitler’s rise – and their terrifying symmetry to events today.

Not only are the parallels to Donald Trump stark, but the warnings for other despos-in-waiting, like Ron DeSantis, serve as a warning of what might come should our fight for democracy ever end.

Hitler ran under a platform of “law and order.”

June 1, 2020: Donald Trump declares himself the “President of Law and Order.” As protests against police brutality erupted across the country following the murder of George Floyd, Trump doubled-down on his “law and order” rhetoric, threatening crack-downs on a movement calling for an end to lawlessness by police. Trump launched his entire Presidential campaign with similar language during a racist tirade against immigrants.

January 26, 2023: Ron DeSantis announces a slate of legislation under the “Law and Order” title. As his ill-fated Presidential campaign continued to fail, he doubled-down on his “Law and Order” promises. DeSantis ordered the illegal removal of two state prosecutors in his own state: Andrew Warren for signing a public letter against prosecuting women and doctors who seek or provide abortions; and, Monique Worrell, over false allegations that she was refusing to prosecute cases.