Donald Trump Jr. recently compared Syrian refugees to Skittles, in this controversial tweet:
This image says it all. Let’s end the politically correct agenda that doesn’t put America first. #trump2016 pic.twitter.com/9fHwog7ssN
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) September 19, 2016
Presumably, Trump Jr.’s argument is that the United States can’t allow any Syrian refugees to enter the country, because at least a few of the refugees will be terrorists. As it turns out, this argument has been used before. Let’s go back in time about 80 years.
In 1938, a German writer named Julius Streicher published a children’s book called, Der Giftpilz, or The Toadstool. It tells the story of a young boy named Franz whose mother teachers him about the Jews.
Here’s an excerpt from the book:
“However they disguise themselves, or however friendly they try to be, affirming a thousand times their good intentions to us, one must not believe them. Jews they are and Jews they remain. For our Volk they are poison.”
“Like the poisonous mushroom!” says Franz.
“Yes, my child! Just as a single poisonous mushrooms can kill a whole family, so a solitary Jew can destroy a whole village, a whole city, even an entire Volk [nation].”
Sound familiar? It’s awfully similar to Trump Jr.’s metaphor about the three deadly Skittles in the candy bowl.
Julius Streicher was not just a children’s book author. He also published a newspaper called Der Stürmer, which Adolf Hitler publicly praised. The paper’s articles openly called for the extermination of the Jews.
After the war, Streicher was executed for crimes against humanity.
The Trump campaign has stood by the controversial tweet. Senior communication adviser Jason Miller said:
“Speaking the truth might upset those who would rather be politically correct than safe, but the American people want a change, and only Donald Trump will do what’s needed to protect us.”
Here’s a clip of Julius Streicher speaking. You might find more similarities between his rhetoric and that of the Trump campaign.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hxJBRhEASYo
Featured image from Twitter.
