Once again I turn to the words of German-born Holocaust survivor and naturalized-American writer Hannah Arendt for words of wisdom drawn from her own lived experience, to warn us of what the future will bring down upon us if we — like so many in 1930s Europe — fail to heed the warning signs.

This is what the young woman who fled Nazi Germany had to say:

We are seeing it now — not only in the halls of government, but in the streets of some of our finest, most peaceful cities: Minneapolis, St. Paul, and two Portlands on opposite coasts. The vicious, barbaric, senseless cruelty, covered up by lies designed to instill in us an acceptance of such behavior as “normal.” And — like the violence portrayed in movies and TV shows — to immunize us against its effects; to kill the natural human tendency toward empathy for the victims as long as it doesn’t touch our family.

Hannah Arendt witnessed it firsthand, and had the foresight and the courage to speak out against it. We need to listen to her, before it is too late.

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
1/26/26