I Do Not Want to Become the Little Girl in the Red Coat...
Dedicated to all who lost their lives during the Holocaust; may their sacrifice be a page from history we continue to learn from, and may their lives never, ever have been in vain...
Pearls are an oyster's response to pain.
Do you know how a pearl is made? A tiny grain of sand or other foreign object finds its way into an oyster. The oyster finds this uncomfortable, so over time, a film is secreted, coating the irritant over and over, until the irritant is no longer as uncomfortable…eventually creating something of great and simple beauty.
People are like oysters, in the sense that we, in our own ways, deal with pain or trauma in a similar manner; over time, we coat the discomfort with layers of coping, in an effort to heal. Other times, that coating is in the form of excuses, methods of self-infliction, and often, lies and anger. We tell ourselves something that is, is not…we don’t want to cope with the situation, so we choose easier directions in the paths of logical thinking.
Many people don’t want to believe bad things they hear; they don’t want to believe their fellow man has the ability to be unkind, or cruel, or even wrong. But, the reality is, many people ARE unkind, cruel, and very much wrong. Those who have the ability to see things clearly, and for what they really are, acknowledge these unpleasantries, as difficult as it is…but we still face them, cope, then try and make things better by shedding light on the unpleasantry, helping others to see and understand what is happening who may not yet have been ready to view the reality clearly. But we can’t reach everyone, and many just don’t WANT to see…they choose not to believe what is right in front of their eyes. It’s easier to make excuses, find scapegoats, assign blame, then inflict punishment on those they feel are threatening them, even if the threat is false, the need for punishment, unfounded.
We are living in a country right now that has forgotten how to be kind. Those with influence and power have determined there are evils and injustices afoot that require not just action, but drastic action…and the more they speak, the more they believe their own narrative and false paranoia. This urgency, and the hate it breeds, is absorbed by those who are easily led, and deceived, because it’s easier to coat that irritant in the oyster with, “I’m right, they’re wrong!” instead of choosing the more difficult coping strategy of listening to what their heart may be telling them is morally or ethically right, and supporting a more logical, less drastic course of action.
Several years ago, I watched “Schindler’s List.” I had deliberately held off watching it for years after it was released because I knew it would be a very difficult watch, and I was right. Not only is it a long film in minutes, but an emotionally long one, too. In particular, the little girl in the red coat was horrendoU.S.ly sad; Spielberg chose to highlight just that one little girl’s red coat as a way to familiarize her as not just another background character, but a relatable individual who’s few moments of storyline can’t help but draw you in, which was the intent. Later, when Schindler sees her dead body being carted away, he remembers the red coat and is visibly shaken…and it got me thinking…
What if I become that little girl in the red coat? Why couldn’t it be possible? I’m a gay man living in a country that has become intolerant of anyone who doesn’t fit into their own tidy box of what is acceptable. I’m not an immigrant, or an illegal alien, or have a different color skin or speak with an accent of sorts, but what if the hate being projected toward anyone who even looks “foreign” to ignorant people, spreads out to other minorities? It has before…countless times. Why should the lawlessness and terror it’s causing across the country stay focused on just “illegal aliens?” They are nothing but a scapegoat, the easiest target, because they are illegal…but once the country becomes normalized to the kind of police state authoritarian regime we’re being governed under, and other groups are then focused on? The justifications are already there, and have been Used before…the black population has higher drug and crime rate…gays are sexual predators ready to harm children and aberration according to the Bible…Christians LOVE to Use this one. What if I, as a minority, become a target, too? With the bitterness of this country’s climate, I don’t believe it’s out of the realm of possibility that it could happen…and for all the people who shake their heads and insist history couldn’t repeat itself, especially in this country, you’re absolutely wrong. Tyranny is tyranny, and after centuries of being the country that was first to rush to the aid of other countries in the interest of preserving the fabric of democracy, the United States has become an aggressor, and the country is stamping on democracy, while at the same time operating under the delusion they are protecting and strengthening democracy. However, to fully understand the loose-hinged mindsets that are dominating our own government right now, including the social and racial prejudices of Trump, his high-office minions, and much of the MAGA movement, we first must travel back, delving into past history, what we know, and what (most) of us have learned…
In early 1933, Hitler seized more power with the Reichstag Fire Decree, which formed the basis for the dictatorship. The civil rights of the German people were curtailed. Freedom of expression was no longer a matter of course and the police could arbitrarily search hoU.S.es and arrest people. The political opponents of the Nazis were essentially outlawed. Arrests and intimidation of citizens increased. Does any of this sound familiar to what is going on in our country now? Do any of these measured seem similar to the pages of language in Project 25? It should…
On 23 March 1933, the Reichstag
met in Berlin. The main item on the agenda was a new law, the 'Enabling Act'.
It allowed Hitler to enact new laws without interference from the president or
Reichstag for a period of four years. In
his speech, Hitler gave those present the choice between 'war and peace'. It
was a veiled threat to intimidate any dissenters. The process was by no means
democratic. With 444 votes in favor and 94 against, the Reichstag adopted the
Enabling Act. It was to form the basis of the Nazi dictatorship until 1945. Once Hitler secured all-wielding power, it
was time for the Nazi party to bring society in line with the Nazi ideal. Existing trade unions were replaced, allowing
the Nazis to prevent workers from organizing any opposition. Politically-suspect
and Jewish civil servants were dismissed.
All other existing political parties were banned; beginning in July,
1933, Germany was a single-party state.
Cultural and scientific “cleansings’ were carried out; under the new
Nazi regime, everything ‘un-German’ had to disappear. Books written by Jewish, left-wing, or
pacifist writers were burned.
While most of the Nazi destructive energy was aimed at political opponents, the one exception was the German Jews. As a group, they did not oppose Nazi ambitions; nevertheless, they became the constant and increasing victims of the Nazis…violence, harassment, oppression…in April 1933, the Nazi government took their first official action against the Jews with a major boycott on Jewish products…the first step in increasing anti-Jewish measures that would eventually lead up to the HolocaU.S.t itself. In the meantime, Hitler and the Nazi party continued to erode all traces of democracy using “legal” means to strengthen the new dictatorship. The Nazis used political violence, grassroots campaigning, propaganda, and political scheming to destabilize the country, win supporters, and take power.
So, how did the Nazi party manage to gain so much power over the population? They made increasing efforts to win over rural and middle-class voters. They sought to appeal to small business owners, artisans, clerks, farmers, and agricultural workers. Nazi propagandists framed the party as a movement that aimed to restore national greatness and prosperity…one that theoretically represented all Germans regardless of class, region, or religion (Christian religion). Hitler often pointed out that the Nazi Party was a microcosm of the “national community” that he envisioned for the future. Nazi propagandists declared Nazism to be a movement that was open to all ethnic Germans. This idea won over many Germans who had become disillusioned with the status quo and the failure of the country’s leadership to solve the nation’s growing economic problems. Hitler promised to restore social harmony by bringing together white and blue collar workers and eliminating class hatred and conflict. These appeals and the idea of returning Germany to greatness resonated with many. In Nazi Germany, groups such as Jews, Black people, and Roma and Sinti were defined as “racially alien.” Thus., they could not form part of the “national community.” They were disenfranchised and persecuted. The Nazi regime also persecuted people because their political or social behavior did not fit into the new “national community.” It targeted political opponents, gay men, Jehovah’s Witnesses, “race defilers,” and others on these grounds.
In December 1937, the regime issued a decree on crime prevention. This decree was directed against individuals labeled as “asocial.” These persons were defined as people who, because of their anti-community behavior (even if it was not criminal), indicated that they did not want to be part of the community. Such a broad definition permitted the police to arrest and imprison some 100,000 persons. Among those arrested were those deemed to be “work shy,” vagrants, prostitutes, and beggars, as well as Roma and Sinti. After 1938 and during the war years, Nazi rulers applied such policies to ethnic Germans. The regime did not consider all persons of German descent to be Volksdeutsche (ethnic Germans), but only those who supported the policies of the new Germany. Individuals of German ancestry who continued to consider themselves Polish or Soviet citizens or who behaved in an “un-German” manner were not permitted to be a part of the “national community.” During World War II (1939–1945), hundreds of thousands of people of German ancestry were transferred by the SS from occupied territories in the Soviet Union and elsewhere to German-occupied Poland. The SS carried out racial and political screenings of the new arrivals.
How did the concentration camps come into being, what was their purpose, and who (and how many) were the people sent to them? Concentration camps, in one incarnation or another, were around since the mid-1930’s. Jews were the main target of Hitler’s hatred, so the overwhelming majority of those interred in the camps were Jews from any and all European countries and territories the Nazi’s invaded and established rule. An efficient and demoralizing color coding system was established for the camps to identify the prisoners and/or tell of their backgrounds. In addition to Jews, who had already famously been forced to wear gold stars pinned to the outside of their clothing even before they were herded off to camps…political prisoners, such as Communists, Socialists, and trade unionists wore red triangles. Common criminals wore green. Roma (Gypsies) and others the Germans considered "asocial" or "shiftless" wore black triangles. Jehovah's Witnesses wore purple ones. And gay men and men imprisoned for homosexuality had to wear pink triangles. In the early days of the war, the Nazi solution to the number of Jews and others inhabiting its cities was to cordon off a portion of it, forcibly evict Jewish citizens from their homes, and squeeze them into the walled and guarded section of the city, commonly referred to as “ghettos.” Once there, the prisoner-residents would be harassed, searched and plundered of what little left of value they had managed to flee their homes with, brutalized, and on occasion, often at night and without warning, troops would rage into the ghettos, killing frightened inhabitants indiscriminately. By this time, Jews, in general, had been stripped of all legal rights; they simply became pawns…human targets for Nazi hatred.
As the number of prisoners the Nazi’s rounded up grew, many of the camps, originally meant to only be work camps, became too burdened to hold more human souls; Although the Jews were the majority who received the worst treatment and met untimely deaths in the gas chambers. Six camps were designed and used for this purpose. Most prisoners who did not comprise the Jewish majority were not gasses, but nevertheless died in other ways, from overworked exhaustion, physical punishment, and starvation. Toward the latter part of the war as Allied forces overtook the Nazi regime and closed in on them, Hitler and the Nazis became more frantic, and even more brutal; in their panic, camps were ordered to ramp up “the final solution” at an alarming rate. The total estimated number of those killed in the six extermination camps is 2.7 million. This does not include the other countless numbers who were murdered before even reaching a camp, gunned down by deliberate firing squads, ghetto raids, or from otherwise natural causes stemming from severe neglect…so many nameless, yet once named and known victims of the frenzy of war.
What can we learn from History, and why is it so important to believe it CAN repeat itself?
It always starts with one thing, as it did for Germany; for the United States, if began with Trumps’s first presidency; appeal to a country’s sense of patriotism by pummeling them with promises of securing democracy for its citizens. From day one he was fanatical and extreme; oddly, as much as it disturbed and frightened many, so did it draw in and win support for equally as many. Mostly lessor-educated and/or easily convinced and led, his no-nonsense way of speaking and behaving made those people feel a sense of oneness with him, which is anything but the truth. Too naïve to see the motives behind the frank talk, millions were made to believe he and he alone could do what he promised, to “Make America Great”…so long as they supported him blindly and didn’t question his strategies. His winning over of his base was inarguable, and fringe groups of extremists began to crop up with individual references but all collectively associated with the movement, “MAGA.” During his first presidency, political tensions rose as these extremist groups clashed with more liberal groups which, oddly, had a much more conservative and certainly more compassionate viewpoint when it came to many issues. However, despite stirring up a vast amount of dissent and hate, Trump was fairly tame during his first term…until it was almost over and a new election was held. He lost the vote for presidency, mostly due to the chaotic atmosphere he had stirred up during his tenure, and people were tired of the antagonistic rhetoric. Refusing to accept defeat in any way, in a shocking move, he rallied his supporters together and insisted the new election results would never be validated; thousands of his supporters marched to and stormed the Capitol building the day Congress was in session, finalizing the election. Hours of riots and violence ensued. The world watched on live television the insurrection…the first time in the country’s history a president and his people tried to overthrow their own government. The election was still validated and under a new presidency, the country had four years of relative peace and normalcy, which was desperately needed by many. One can only handle so much drama.
A new election in 2025 brought Trump back into the Oval Office. I warned anyone who would listen this would not be anything near as “tame” as the first one, and this second presidency would not be about bringing the country together, or bringing it peace; instead, it would be about settling scores, seeking revenge, and consolidating as much power as possible…and I was right on all counts. The last twelve months have been the most disruptive, chaotic I’ve ever witnessed in this country…not just politically, but socially, economically, and especially, morally. The new Trump regime…and I call it that because it can’t he considered anything but…is militant, aggressive, and whereas they preach on the platform of wanting and restoring peace, they are doing anything BUT that. His supporters are so brainwashed and blind, they honestly believe he really IS restoring order and peace, despite the amount of chaos being caused, the amount of tension not just in this country, but around the world. The administration is literally threatening world peace, masking aggression toward other nations as necessary for “national security,” even though this country has no need to fear for its security as a nation. It’s all propaganda, a way to seize more power. The trouble is, that is NOT what this country’s history or reputation has ever been about. Sure, as a country we can be the nosy busy-body that is always ready to jump into conflicts to protect democracy around the world, but it’s always against an aggressive nation; we have never ourselves been the aggressor, intent on conquering other nations just for our own gain.
As of the writing of this post, it’s January, 2026; for months, Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agents, commonly and loathingly known as ICE agents, have been “targeting” what is said to be pockets of illegal immigrants in this country. Their presence and history for being insensitively brutal to those they interrogate and detain has become one of growing outrage as otherwise peaceful U.S. cities are turned into crucibles of fear, uncertainty, and anxiety, not just for those who may be illegally in this country, but for foreign-born, legal citizens and American-born citizens alike. Protests have erupted in cities, and as the government recruits more agents and allows these barely-trained, masked militia into city streets, tensions have risen to a fever pitch, resulting in several unnecessary and unlawful killings by trigger-happy ICE agents. The dual promise of immunity for agents and harsh punishment equal to a felony by anyone interfering or disrupting these agents has even further divided citizens, both from their government and one another, depending on which side you choose to align with. In addition to the ridiculously intense targeting of immigrants, Trump’s other blood-lusts have included the systematic blowing up of boats in international waters believed confidently but with almost no proof whatsoever, of drug traffickers. He has also rekindled his love of the acquisition of real estate…this time on the world map. Since entering office in 2025, he has threatened the invasion and takeover of Canada, created a coup in Venezuela and has already named himself and/or members of his government acting presidents of that country, as well as his newest, most recent threat to Greenland…and always under the guise of “national security.” The truth is he wanted Canada for their natural resources, Venezuela for its oil, and Greenland for it’s vast mineral-rich lands…albeit buried under ice the equivalent to that of a ten-story building. But, like a spoiled, undisciplined toddler, Trump wants what he wants, doesn’t care what kind of havoc he causes to get it, and all at the expense and fear of millions of lives, not least the ones he elected to protect, defend, and above all, govern with fairness. Let all of this sink in…take a few minutes; it’s a lot.
To say that Trump’s government is unaware of their close affiliation to the early practices of Nazi Germany would be too far-fetched to believe…similarities are too many; find and create a convenient scapegoat. Start becoming aggressive toward them with the continued rhetoric of “America First”…divert with a myriad of other media distractions plaguing the president and his administration that are legitimate concerns but need to be skewed off radar by keeping the country preoccupied as you march forward with agendas…all of this is happening in very quick succession, and the most frightening thing is how complicit so many people seem to be, and even enthusiastic about the upheaval, the aggression, the deliberate alienation of this country from its allies. Right now in America, we have ICE “Detention Centers.” We also have what cannot be described as anything but our own version of a concentration camp, “Alligator Alcatraz.” It has since been emptied of the immigrants imprisoned there, but the facility still exists…waiting. Other similar methods of disposing of what the Department of Homeland Security describes as “illegal aliens and other dangerous. criminals” is to transport them out of the country altogether to interment facilities elsewhere; the most infamous. was featured on the television show 60 Minutes; the segment featured interviews with migrants who were sent to a notorious. El Salvador prison called the Terrorism Confinement Center, or CECOT. However, just hours before the segment was to air, a few phone calls pulled it from the show’s runtime in the U.S.. The segment remained in the broadcast that aired outside of the U.S., and it was shocking to see the kind of treatment our government was inflicting on people. Regardless your own personal view on immigration in this country, or even your political affiliation…there are some basic, human dignities that all of U.S. should be allowed, and whether the person being brutalized in a foreign confinement center was at one time an illegal immigrant in the U.S. shouldn’t matter; they are still a human being, and this country, over any other, should be second to none in ensuring the decent treatment of others. The cruel and cold way our current government is operating on all fronts has shaken not just America, but much of the world, many countries of whom are out allies…or once were. Polls, interviews, and social media are showing a huge shift in confidence for the U.S. and the way we are viewed in the eyes of the world…and yet, in spite of it all, Trump, his lackeys, and his devoted, maligned followers, are shrugging, laughing, even encouraging the imperialistic behavior of the laughable caricature of a dictator-president we have. The fact he is being compared to and aligned with Hitler is of no surprise, and justifiable in its comparison. He has the cruelty, the loyal cult of followers, and frighteningly, just enough power over the weak-minded individuals he deposited in positions of power themselves, to play more havoc in the months yet to come. He has completely disregarded our own laws by disobeying the text of the Constitution and its amendments, and every time he gets away with one more thing, like a thief that doesn’t get caught, it emboldens him to reach a little further and test the waters…and this country…again.
The one glimmer of hope America has are the 2026 mid-term elections; all 435 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives and 35 of the 100 seats in the U.S. Senate will be contested to determine the 120th United States Congress. 39 state and territorial U.S. gubernatorial elections, and numerous. state and local elections, will also be contested. At the writing of this post, all major polls show the Democratic party anticipated to win, by respectable margins…proof that not only Democrats here at home, but others, may finally be more than tired of the drama, the ruthlessness, the tyrannical rule by a puppet president with too much volatility to safely lead a country of this size and diversity. Should elections fall in Democratic favor and they win back power, so to speak, it will be much easier to tame the babbling, whining bear the country elected but can no longer control. It could mean a return to a more peaceful tenor, and even possibly the removal itself of Trump as president, along with many of his most hated accomplices, via impeachment. Justification for it is strong; no other president in history has caused this much unnecessary upheaval to the country while at the same time blatantly ignoring the very oaths he swore to and took. We are not a country united; we are a country grossly divided, and responsibility for the division, drama, and unrest is almost entirely that of the one placed in office.
I do not want to live in a country so divided; I do not want to wake up every morning to more news stories of who, or what, is being targeted next by the country that is supposed to be the benchmark for peace; I don’t want to find one day, and quite possibly not in the too distant future, that my own rights, privileges, and liberties as a U.S. citizen have been diminished or even taken away, simply because I am not viewed as favorably by the current, established regime.
I do not want to become the little girl in the red coat.
I asked the question before: “Could it happen?” At this point in time, with the state this country is in and the path being taken…why not? Americans, like the prewar Germans, are either ignorant to what is going on, turning blind eyes, or simply not caring enough, because it’s easier to ignore something…coat the uncomfortable irritant like the oyster does to form a pearl…except the result isn’t a thing of beauty.
None of us, if you’re truly a patriot to this country, its ideology, and how we present ourselves on the world stage, should want any of the things happening currently; differences of opinion will always be, but as a civilized society, the one predominant belief of all should be that we live, and rule ourselves with compassion, above all else. Right now, I’m not seeing that…and it scares me. Hate has never made any nation great. Greatness is born of charity and kindness, not hate and division. If Germans from 1933 could speak, I believe they would tell us to be wary, be vigilant, and above all else, be vocal.
Let us pray.
