Opinion : Letter to the Editor: America’s Kristallnacht Moment

Dear Editor,

It’s with disgust, anger, incredulity, sadness and a host of other emotions that I view the events post October 7th, 2023, up until today’s rampaging across America's most liberal colleges and universities.  It should end forever stupid phrases like . . . “We’ll never forget!!” . . . or . . . “Always remember!”.  It’s clear that we will and we don’t.  The Nazi rampage against humankind was not limited to Jews – it included pretty much any organized religion as well as peoples like the Gypsies.  When I was young our parish (Lutheran – Missouri Synod) had a brother and sister pair that were German orphans of the war.  They hid behind a haymow in their barn as their parents were shot to death by Nasi troops because they were Lutheran.  It’s remarkable that they survived the war and ended up in our little town.  The focus on Jews was simply a way to focus public anger on a specific and prosperous segment of the population culminating in “Kristallnacht” on November 9-10, 1938 resulting in the destruction of over 7,000 Jewish businesses and the arrest of over 30,000 Jewish men that were arrested and sent to concentration camps.  And given the coverage of our current events, it would appear that, as the Canary dies in the mine shaft – as America appears to entertain a walk down a very similar path that Germany took in the late 30s. 

So where are we?  Let’s consider the major actor in these recent events – Hamas.  Hamas, going back as far as 2003, has globally been declared a terrorist organization.  Meaning, that Hamas, as a group, utilizes violent, heinous attacks to intimidate people and promote an environment of fear to further their ability to take control.  Beheading children, tying mothers and children together and then burning them to death, cutting an unborn child out of a mother and then killing it in front of the mother as she dies, shooting and burning people to death – these and more are tactics Hamas used on October 7th.

To add insult to injury they use the Palestinian people in Gaza as human shields to protect operation centers, weapons and ammunition storage, gun emplacements and missile launch sites.  These were intermixed with or were contained in hospitals, schools and residential centers.  When these centers are attacked by the IDF, the IDF are condemned for their “reckless” acts.  Since Israel returned Gaza to Palestinian control in 2005, over 20,000 missile attacks have been launched from within Gaza.  Think how we would feel if 20,000 such attacks were launched on, say, Detroit from Canada.  Would we simply sit by as our people are killed?  I suspect not.  I hope not.

Now there seems to be many on campus, attending colleges and universities (keeping in mind that many of these colleges and universities receive government funding) that are identifying as members of Hamas.  They are self-identified as members of a Terrorist organization.  There seems little doubt on what our actions should be . . . first – BELIEVE THEM!  Considering the chaos they are willing to bring to our college campuses – I get it.  They are true believers.  Does any parent want their children to attend school while surrounded by self-admitted terrorists?  I suspect not.  So here is my suggestion.

Arrest them all.  Intern them all is a place that provides a level of security for our country – how about Gitmo?  If they are citizens of a foreign country – expel them immediately with no opportunity to return.  Try them for damage done to the universities and any damaged private property and demand restitution.  They should never be allowed any type of government student loan nor should they ever be allowed to reenroll at the college level.  As for the colleges that allow such organizations to exist and students to attend, they should no longer be eligible for government funding of any kind.

This should happen now, today, immediately.

Let’s also take a larger look at how such a movement as the persecution of the Jews in Germany occurred.  In my day a required book to read was “The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich”.  I suspect that requirement has long since been forgotten as has the actual event.  But at its core it revolves around a government that picks an “enemy” to focus on to divide the country and focus its energies on.  This is not an uncommon tact among authoritarian leaders.  It often starts with an “emergency” that allows a government to act unilaterally for the “good of the people”.  The problem is that the “emergency” never really disappears, and others always seem to be on the horizon.  Those that resist such acts are considered “deniers” and simply put on “the list”.  This can include individuals, groups, religions, organizations – anyone who simply holds a view that is “unapproved”.  As time goes on, and the propaganda heightens – it can easily become “accepted” that “they” are the real problem and need to be dealt with.    We see this happening to the IDF so much so that some Hamas college protesters are throwing around an age-old phrase of dealing with the Jews saying that . . . “the final solution” needs to happen.  It’s also known by a newer one – “from the river to the sea”.  This is simply the eradication of the Jews as a people.   Within our country I see similar references to folks who embrace the concepts of Make America Great Again – MAGA.  Of parents who want to know exactly what their children are being taught about sex and genders and have clear expectations of what is – and is not - taught.  Of members of various religious denominations – particularly Catholics it seems.  And references to rural white men who seem to be looked at by our current administration as the Devil incarnate.  As a white, Catholic, military vet and firearms trainer living in the rural Midwest . . . I find I take it all a bit personally.  One of my granddaughters asked me “How many lists are you on Grandpa??”  My response was simple . . . “All of them!”  I suspect there is a lot of truth in that statement.

Sadly, I do not see much willingness for a reevaluation of these attitudes.  Our nation’s far left seems to be more than happy to pour gasoline on this particular cultural fire with little concern for an endgame and a final destination.  Perhaps this is how our particular experiment in a Constitutional Republic ends . . . or perhaps folks will wake up and realize that our current path ends badly.  Time will tell.

Respectfully, 

Bill Keller