October 23, 2018 — Chicago
This piece originally appeared in the Chicago Tribune.
To the Editor:
This is in response to the Oct. 19 article “Allied forces rip local Nazi candidate.” The bipartisan, multiethnic, interfaith rejection of Nazi party member Arthur Jones’s bid for a seat in the U.S House of Representatives is an encouraging example of Americans coming together to actively combat hate.
Any political candidate that espouses such bigotry has no place in American civic discourse and should be vigorously condemned. As reflected in the varied groups vehemently opposing Jones, his threatening hatred is not limited to Jews.
The immortal words of German pastor Martin Niemöller, who actively opposed the Nazis during World War II, resonate in this moment. “First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me – and there was no one left to speak for me,” wrote Niemöller
This momentum against Nazi ideology, still regrettably active in 21st century America, should be translated into amplified coalition building across groups and to increase investments in Holocaust education.
A recent survey by the Claims Conference revealed that the knowledge of Americans about the Holocaust is seriously deficient, if not alarming. For example, 11% of U.S. adults and 22% of millennials have not heard of or are not sure if they have heard of the Holocaust.
Collective stances against candidates such as Jones ensure that Niemöller’s quote never sees a new reality.
Natalie D. Callone
Assistant Director, International Affairs and Communications
American Jewish Committee Chicago
