When I was at the fair this summer, I observed a young man collecting signatures for a Republican candidate for governor. He approached a young mother with a child in a stroller. The petitioner asked if she was interested in signing and her immediate response was, “I don’t vote for fascists.”  

I drove by our local “No Kings” rally recently and it was interesting. There were older people with their walkers and younger people in blow-up animal costumes.

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Hand-lettered signs proclaiming various grievances, and hatred toward the President including wishing his death with several declaring 86/47.  

The young woman at the fair could bravely say, “I don’t vote for fascists” and not worry that she would be arrested for her words. Just as the “No Kings” rally goers can openly wish death on the American President. A president who not only won the electoral college, but also a majority of the popular vote.  

The definition of fascism is a governmental system led by a dictator having complete power, forcibly suppressing opposition and criticism. The government has extensive control over society and the economy, regulating industry, commerce, and everyday life. The Nazis included a race factor. Hitler felt the Aryan race was superior in strength and intellect, and it fell on the Jews to be the problem that needed to be eliminated—although he also included Gypsies and Slavs.

If this were a fascist nation and if people running things were actual Nazis, there would be a different outcome to the protestations.

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Since these terms are used without consequence, logic tells me these are words to paint a picture that doesn’t exist.

My family lived under a fascistic government in Nazi-occupied Holland for five years. My father had his own business in the Netherlands. He had a truck, and he and his truck were commandeered by the Nazis to work during the war years of 1940–1945. He would be gone from home days at a time and could not refuse to go. When we came to America in the early 50s a neighbor got him a job as a janitor in a local factory. My father had a strong Dutch accent, and his coworkers had great fun teasing him by talking to him in a German accent. I’m sure the guys at the shop thought they were funny, but for someone who lived through his life experience, it just brought back bitter memories.  

My sister was 14 when the war began. After the Nazi bombers flattened the Port of Rotterdam, the Dutch surrendered, and Holland was occupied territory with soldiers and tanks in the street. At times there would be demands on the locals to be on the front step of their house with a blanket, or a radio, or whatever was demanded that day for collection as gifts from the Dutch people.

The war years were very hard with rationing and terrible hunger, but the very worst for my sister was the mistreatment of the Jews. Wearing the yellow star brought new rules. Non-Jews could no longer associate with Jews. This confused and angered my sister as she was good friends with a neighboring Jewish family and the daughter. At one point the Nazis came for the girl’s father. The rest of the family had to go on without him. After a time, the girl excitedly told my sister that the authorities had said her family would soon be joining the father. She was so excited to see him again, and the family willingly went with the soldiers. Needless to say, no one ever came back.

This is real fascism, real Nazism, not the sanitized American version of calling people names and writing slogans on cardboard, standing on the corner claiming to be oppressed without having a clue a what real oppression is like.

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My sister recently died at 97 but she never forgot what those years under the Nazis were like. In fact, the cruelty and lack of humanity became more real the older she became. She would ask how people could be so cruel.

Governmental fascism is a terrible thing. But as I look around at some of our social dynamics today, I must ask if there is such a thing as societal fascism? The assassination of Charlie Kirk and the attempted assassination of President Trump show the willingness of some to permanently silence a message or movement they disagree with. I have noticed lately a tendency away from putting political signs in one’s yard depending on what the neighbors may think. This is societal cancelation. It opposes the very foundation of America and the basis of self-determination, freedom of speech, and association. Have we lost the ability to peacefully disagree?  I certainly hope not.  

This is unpleasant in neighborhoods, but even worse, this is happening within families between parents and children, and between siblings. This showed up during the pandemic with differing views on how to handle those issues. Instead of family gatherings and support systems there were heartbreak and estrangement.

As we enter this holiday season with Thanksgiving and Christmas, this should be a time to celebrate family and traditions.

Don’t let political differences or viewpoints separate you from your loved ones.

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We need more Norman Rockwell holiday tables. Time to bring everyone home for the holidays.