History should teach us something, that is why they keep records and teach it in school. History also repeats itself and bad history repeats if we make the wrong choices.
I love reading and studying history, I am not an expert, but I think we can learn for understanding it. This year in the American election process we are faced with making some choices about who we want to be our leader and to some extent who we want to be the world’s leader.
The choices are not that great, but the outcome could be really bad if we choose wrongly. History had a choice like this in the past, 1938, Germany was faced with the world blaming it for the First World War and all its troubles. A man came along and convinced the German people that he had all the answers, and that only he could resolve the issues, he wanted to lead Germany into its rightful place. He convinced the people that the media and newspapers were a conspiracy against him and his movement. He blamed the minorities and Jews for the problems in Germany and he convinced the people that to regain its status that Germany needed to rid itself of all the bad influences.
This man, Adolf Hitler, had only bad things to say about the government and its leaders. He stated that they were all against him and that he would get revenge on them when he was the new leader. He would jail or kill the ones who opposed him and did not agree with him. He started wars and convinced the young that he was the only person who knew how they felt. Does this sound vaguely familiar?
The youth of Germany supported him and died for him and his beliefs, they fought for him, killing many on both sides. Following this war, World War II, the world and Germany were in sad shape for many years to come. The USA was in most cases better off than the rest of the world and we, the USA and its people, helped the world, including Germany get back on its feet.
The world today is by far a better place than it was, but if we vote the wrong person into office we can again lead the world into a place that no one wants to be.
The differences between the Democrats and the GOP are many, but the differences are minor compared to what is happening now. Mr. Trump has divided us in a very similar way as did Hitler in 1938.
Do we really want to go down that path again? Are we willing to give up what we have in this country just because of what a bully says, do we really want to become a person like him? someone who can not see or understand that together we stand a better chance of making change happen that will benefit us all.
Do we all want a person that degrades women and minorities and religions? Do we want to change so badly that we would turn over our country to a person like that, a person who will not see or understand where he is going? When he is confronted with facts he strikes back with the same words and hated that in 1938 killed millions simply to prove a point.
Think long and hard before you vote, and vote for a person who cares for this country and not someone who cares for himself.
Robert Dempsey is a resident of Kailua-Kona