Commentary: Dear Mr. Hendricks and Republican Party Leaders:
I am a Jewish member of the House of Representatives. I am a Democrat. During this campaign, as a Jew, I look at the behavior of Republican party leaders and I am reminded of the Nazis. But I have not said anything because I don't think it is appropriate to compare either party to an ideology that killed 6 million of my people.
I haven't said anything about Nazis when Trump supporters threatened to intimidate people at the polls - even though that is exactly what the "Brownshirts" did during the Nazi era.
I haven't said anything about Nazis while Trump has torn down our cherished institutions, like our science and health organizations, free and fair elections and an independent judiciary just as Hitler did to the institutions of the Weimar Republic.
I haven't said anything about Nazis when Trump made his Cabinet, one-by-one, pledge fealty to him, as an individual, rather than to the country, just as Hitler did to his Cabinet.
I haven't said anything about Nazis when Trump treated women and minorities as second class citizens unworthy of even basic respect although that is exactly with Hitler did to those who opposed him.
I haven't said anything about Nazis when Trump demonized immigrants as some kind of threat to "real Americans" even though that is exactly what happened to Jews under Hitler.
I haven't said anything about Nazis even as a cult has developed in our country around one person that defies any logic or reason -- just like what happened in Germany.
I haven't said anything about the constant barrage of lies coming from the President just like the lies Hitler spewed about everything.
I haven't said anything about Nazis even though those around Trump have compromised their own integrity for the sake of other agendas just as the German industrialists made compromises with Hitler because they liked his economic policies.
And I haven't said anything about Nazis even when people accept a misogynist, racist, anti-Semitic, narcissistic, mentally unstable President who is hard for me to distinguish from the same personality type as Hitler.
So, please don't tempt me with your crazy rant about the Democrats being like Nazis. It is the Democrats who are fighting to restore democracy, hope, sanity, unity and common respect and decency to the country. I only hope that the Republicans can one day, again, make the same claim.
Daymon Ely
State House of Representatives
House District 23