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Hitler comparisons are anti-Semitic

October 18, 2009 12:36 am

It was quite heartwarming to read Linda Govenides' Oct. 11 letter ["The Nazis did it one small step at a time"] defending conservatives who compare Obama to Hitler, in which she advised readers to "ask a Jew if he thinks it's not a great idea to be on guard."

Wow. After months of listening to conservatives exploit and trivialize the greatest tragedy in my people's history, I was really touched that one of them finally thought to ask a Jew's opinion on the matter.

Well, since Ms. Govenides asked, this Jew will be happy to answer: I agree.

We always need to be on guard against authoritarians who use fear-mongering, hate-mongering, and propaganda to scare the most vulnerable members of society into surrendering their rights, freedoms, and money to the wealthiest and most powerful.

Furthermore, as the number of Holocaust survivors and witnesses dwindles ever lower, Jews must be on guard against those who would trivialize and obscure the reality of what happened in those death camps.

That's why Jewish groups like the Anti-Defamation League have condemned these comparisons of Obama to Hitler as anti-Semitic.

Fortunately, this latest scare tactic will probably be no more successful than the right's other attempts to smear Obama.

So far they've called him everything from communist to racist, while spreading absurd conspiracy theories about his birth certificate, ACORN, and death panels.

Somehow I doubt that insulting the Jewish people will work out any better for them.

Joseph Katz

Stafford