Joshua Ostroff is a Senior Editor for Huffington Post
Canada. His former employment ranges from Music Editor for America Online, Inc
to Senior Editor for Spinner. He is the winner of several awards and recognitions
such as the Prism Prize and Polaris Music Prize. His primary category in
journalism is usually music and pop culture. However, Thursday he published an
article titled A Jewish Response to Trump Being Called Hitler. As a Jewish man, he had
a lot to say about the popular comparison.
His statement that being Jewish is both a religious and ethnic term, in
my opinion, is correct. In the 1930’s, though he wouldn’t have attended temple
or practiced Jewish customs, he still would have been collected up in the
masses during Hitler’s reign for simply being born to Jewish parents.
His arguments about Judaism being a race as well as a religion make me
think about how tough it must be for Muslims of this country. How we categorize
their attire and looks with the religion itself. Many middle eastern descent people are
discriminated against by those related factors, despite not knowing if they
practice Muslim traditions or customs.
In his article, he elaborates on the ideas of Hitler and his rise into
power. Hitler’s motive to gain political status fed on the nature of man.
Hitler gave the masses a “bad guy”, claiming that the Jewish community was to
blame for all of Germany’s woes and that by eliminating them he would “make
Germany great again,” and the people listened. Sounds familiar. Trump has repeatedly singled out certain
minorities and blamed them for Americas troubles. At his rally in Orlando, he had his supporters raise their right hands to promise their vote to him. Did no one in that convention question what they looked like?
Ostroff says, “Super Tuesday exit polls found as much as 78 percent of
Republican voters in some southern states support banning Muslims from entering the U.S.” How is this a common
American ideal? Aren’t we the land of opportunity? Aren’t most of us ancestors
of former refugees seeking the American dream of freedom?
Trump has fueled a fire. Though some may say it’s all an act, it’s a
dangerous one. As an American who has walked the site of a former concentration
camp, I can say I want no part in his campaign that’s fueled be racial hate. Closing
our boarders and forcing other countries to build “our” wall is just ludicrous.
Remarks about taking out terrorist’s family’s - he obviously has no
recollection of the Geneva Conventions - are insensitive and have no regard for
human life. This man is in no form or fashion fit to run such a powerful
nation.
“So as hard as it
is to hear Hitler's name all over the news, let it at least remind us why we
must stop Trump and all leaders who traffic in racism and xenophobia before
such hate defines anyone else.”
Ostroff’s closing
statement speaks volumes. Our country is a melting pot founded on the idea of
freedom. Immigration and diversity is the backbone of this country. We should
be a nation that opens our arms and our eyes to the people that want our dream.
Trump is constantly promoting racist ideas and policies. His campaign agenda is
hateful and dividing this country even more. We need a healer, not an eccentric
business man with poor character and small minded ideas.
