I cannot express how truly sad writing this op-ed has made me. But I'm a patriotic American. And I'm an American Jew. I have studied the beginnings of Nazi Germany and the Holocaust. And I can clearly see parallels with what is happening in America today. Thank God we have President Trump (at the moment) keeping us from heading too far down this tragic path. But I must warn my fellow Americans that we are clearly headed in a frightening and tragic direction.
I know I'm not alone. A recent poll shows 80% of the American public believes things are spiraling "out of control."
I never thought I'd write the following words about living in America: Those caught in the middle of the recent "protests" in American cities, especially those seeing their businesses looted, burned or destroyed; seeing police stations burned or seized by radicals; or seeing their town's downtown business district taken hostage by thugs finally understand how Jews felt in Nazi Germany during the infamous Kristallnacht.
This is exactly how it started in Nazi Germany all those decades ago:
-- Windows shattered, stores looted and burned.
-- Blackshirts roaming the streets demanding people kneel at their feet.
-- Censorship, book burning, snitching by neighbors and co-workers.
-- Media propaganda and manipulation.
-- The police and "good people" doing nothing to help.
Amazingly, it's happening here today. And far too many political leaders, media and "good people" are telling us it is acceptable.
All of us are experiencing some aspect of this dark period in America's history:
-- Many of us don't fly an American flag at our homes. We don't dare put a Trump sign on our lawn or in our store window, or put a Trump bumper sticker on our car, for fear of violence or vandalism.
-- On the TV, we all see supposedly rational and respected people calling us racist solely because of the color of our skin.
-- Our free speech is monitored, censored, shadow-banned or outright banned by those who control social media.
-- Our great American history is being destroyed, denigrated or erased. Radicals are toppling the statues of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Abraham Lincoln and even abolitionists -- heroes who bravely fought against slavery.
-- A black NASCAR driver can wrap his car with "Black Lives Matter," but an NBA announcer loses his job for tweeting, "All Lives Matter," and a Philadelphia newspaper editor is forced to resign for writing, "Buildings Matter, Too," as his city burns.
-- NFL superstar quarterback Drew Brees was forced to beg for forgiveness for saying he will always stand for our national anthem. College football coach Mike Gundy was forced to beg for forgiveness from his players for wearing a T-Shirt with the name of the conservative One America News Network.
-- Demented never-Trumper Rick Wilson tried to destroy Domino's pizza for thanking a prominent Trump supporter for a compliment on its pizza in a corporate tweet...in 2012 ...before Trump ever even got into politics.
When did America lose its freedom of speech and expression? When did we decide to erase all of our history? Isn't that what ISIS does?
OPEN YOUR EYES. Study what happened in Nazi Germany during the infamous Kristallnacht. The night of Nov. 9-10, 1938, marked the beginning of the Nazis' attack on the Jews. Jewish homes and businesses were looted, desecrated and burned while the police and "good people" stood by and watched. Nazis laughed and cheered as books were burned.
The name Kristallnacht refers to the litter of broken glass ... exactly the same as what we saw take place in major American cities over the past few weeks. How did they compare? See the blocks of boarded-up businesses all over Manhattan. See 700 buildings damaged, burned and destroyed in Minneapolis. See downtown Seattle run by a "warlord" and armed domestic terrorists with AR-15s.
In Paris this week, protesters chanted, "Dirty Jews!" The Marxist mayor of New York City has joined tens of thousands at a "Black Trans Lives Matter" event in Brooklyn while ordering parks and playgrounds for Orthodox Jewish children welded shut.
Today's version of book burning is HBO Max banning "Gone With the Wind," a photo of Winston Churchill "disappearing" from Google, Hollywood canceling "Cops" and "Live PD."
Yes, all that happened in just the last few weeks. You may not have heard about it because it was scarcely reported by the mainstream propaganda media.
Never forget the famous Holocaust lesson: After they have come for me, they will come for you, and there will be no one left to stop them.
Trust me, they're coming for all of us.
They won't stop. This will only get worse and out of control, unless we draw a line in the sand, stand up to the bullies, fight them tooth and nail, and stop them now.
Wayne Allyn Root is a CEO, entrepreneur, best-selling author, nationally-syndicated talk show host on USA Radio Network at 6 PM to 9 PM EST/3 PM to 6 PM PST. To find out more about Wayne Allyn Root and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.