History repeats

Most people are familiar with the following quote or a version of it. "Those who do not know history are doomed to repeat it." If you understand and believe this quote is true, you should be upset with recent events.

During World War II the United States was attacked by Japan. In support of their Japanese allies, Germany also declared war on the U.S. The United States was officially in World War II from December 1941 to August 1945 and fought the Nazis in the European Theater and the Japanese in the Pacific Theater of operations. In the European and Atlantic Theaters of Operations, U.S. forces suffered 183,588 dead or missing in action, 560,240 wounded and 108,621 prisoners of war. These American casualties were caused by the Nazi government in Germany and by their allies. In addition the Nazis established concentration and death camps where thousands of "undesirables" were murdered every day. These victims included Jews, disabled people, Roma or Gypsies, Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, homosexuals and others who were also deemed "undesirable" races.

The evidence and proof of these horrors are everywhere in the world despite the deniers who have failed to convince the public that the stories about Nazi actions are false.

The majority of people regard Nazis and their supporters as despicable. Those who wear or carry the Nazi swastikas are celebrating the deaths of 183,588 Americans. What is causing this support for Nazis, pseudo-Nazis, and neo-Nazis and their allies?

Representative Tom Garrett (R-Virgina) has said that this is a result of Russian meddling stirring up right-wing extremists and causing hate and separation/division between Americans. Russia is not trying to overthrow the U.S. government. They are trying to sow dissension between our citizens, and in doing so, they are trying to make our government less effective and less trustworthy. Russia is encouraging the type of hate and turmoil that brought the Nazis to power and destroyed the government of Germany.

The means of fighting back is to read the Declaration of Independence and the preamble to the Constitution, and visit a military veterans' cemetery and note that the headstones do not identify the political party of the veteran. Politics do not go through the gates of a veterans' cemetery.

Jack Dragoni attended Boston College and served in the U.S. Army in Berlin and Vietnam. He lives in Chaffee, Missouri.