My Turn. A Blog for Democracy

Martin Luther King Day made me think about creating beloved communities -especially now. How can we slow things down, listen to each other, go beyond labels, to build resilience?

Defining Fascism.

Examining Frank Capra's "It's a Wonderful Life". Do we wish to live in Pottersville or Bedford Falls? How can we be the light of the season?

What are the origins of the eugenics movement and German "racial hygiene"? How did racism, antisemitism, and anti-immigrant hate have devastating impact on democracy?

What are mass atrocity crimes and how are they different? Is the US committing war crimes?

How the Nazis were given power and destroyed democracy from within.

The extra legal use of paramilitaries threaten democracy. Warnings about the SA "brownshirts" and their use to overthrow the Weimar Republic.

What is a "strongman" and how do you resist him? How the use of humor is a powerful weapon.

Hitler's American friends like Fritz Kuhn and Fr. Charles Coughlin were defeated by democracy. How do remembrances help us discover the responsibility to confront fascism and hate?

We must be careful in comparing things to Nazi Germany. Who were the Nazis and what comparisons can we make? When we compare we must also contrast to find the right questions.

How the son of a Nazi perpetrator faced his past with shame not guilt.

Exploring the origins of antisemitism and wrestling with who hates and why.