What’s happening in Ohio by Ruth Neuwald Falcon

The first issue of Der Stürmer (The Attacker), founded by Julius Streicher, was published on April 20, 1923. As early as 1933, Streicher was calling for the extermination of the Jews. In our time, The Daily Stormer advocates for a second Jewish genocide.

Streicher wanted Der Stürmer to appeal to the common man, to the worker with little time to read. Thus, Der Stürmer’s articles used short sentences and a simple vocabulary. Ideas were repeated. Headlines grabbed a reader’s attention. And the cartoons were easily understood. — An Overview of the Nazi’s Antisemitic Newspaper

The most popular issue of Der Stürmer was published in 1939. On its cover is a reprint of a medieval depiction of a supposed ritual murder committed by Jews, commonly known as blood libel. Starting in Europe in the 12th century, this superstition accused Jews of ritually sacrificing Christian children at Passover to use their blood to make matzah.

“In Springfield, they’re eating the dogs, the people that came in, they’re eating the cats. They’re eating, they’re eating the pets of the people that live there.” — Donald Trump

Racist stereotyping of immigrants is not new in this country either. Various tropes have long been used to dehumanize and marginalize them. In the 1800s, Chinese immigrants were accused of eating dogs and other pets. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, Italian immigrants were characterized as dirty, untrustworthy, and criminal. Irish immigrants were accused of being lazy and drunken. All of these things led to various forms of social marginalization and violence.

Ohio woman says she regrets sharing false rumor about Haitians on Facebook. The woman has since deleted the post claiming that one of her Haitian neighbors might have taken a neighbor’s cat. — The New York Times

This week, two colleges in Springfield canceled in-person classes after receiving threats against Haitians. Elementary schools have been evacuated. Two area hospitals closed last Thursday, as did City Hall. The city has canceled its annual arts and cultural festival, which had been scheduled for September 27 and 28.

“If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention. . . then that’s what I’m going to do.” — JD Vance

It is not only Trump and Vance who are doing damage with their ugly lies but also the Republican establishment that continues to echo and support them. Thousands of people are now living in fear. Yesterday, an Ohio sheriff posted on Facebook:

“When people ask me…What’s gonna happen if the Flip – Flopping, Laughing Hyena Wins?? I say…write down all the addresses of the people who had her signs in their yards. Sooo…when the Illegal human “Locust” (which she supports!) Need places to live…We’ll already have the addresses of their New families…who supported their arrival!”

Between 1945 and 1949, a series of 13 trials were conducted in Nuremberg, Germany, for the purpose of bringing Nazi war criminals to justice. Streicher was convicted for having continued to disseminate “his vitriolic antisemitic propaganda when he was well aware that Jews were being murdered.” He was the first member of the Nazi regime to be held accountable for inciting genocide.

Over the past week, I have found the reports of the escalating rhetoric and threats to Haitian immigrants almost unbearable. I viscerally feel the connection between the dehumanizing of Jews that eventually permitted the attempt to exterminate us and what is being said today about immigrants, particularly those with black or brown skins. I am terrified of what will happen if Donald Trump wins enough electoral college votes to take over as president of this country.

When you are bestowed with a microphone that is that big, there is a profound responsibility that comes with that. So let’s turn a page and chart a new way forward and say, you can’t have that microphone again. — Kamala Harris