What took place at a Donald Trump campaign rally in Florida on March 5 should frighten all of us, Republican or Democrat, liberal or conservative.
Imploring those at the rally to support him, Trump urged them all to raise their right hands and pledge to vote for him in the coming Florida primary.
Many, if not all, did so, and the image is reminiscent of Germans in the 1930’s swearing their allegiance with raised right arms to Adolf Hitler. When confronted with protesters, Trump alluded to the hatred and animosity in the country, adding that: “We have a terrible president who happens to be African-American” and that the country has never been more divided.
Besides being historically inaccurate (did he forget about the Civil War or the Vietnam War eras?), he discarded any pretense of being anything but the bigot that he really is. All of us need to recognize and confront the danger his candidacy poses to our democracy.
David Katz
Florence