Really? That's what you're going to go with?

We had a conversation in the car yesterday that wandered around into a bunch of different areas, and it was interesting to hear different viewpoints and questions to consider.  We dove into politics and race at one point, and I offered my distaste of current politicians equating some politician of the day to Hitler (first President Bush, then President Obama, among others).  It's ridiculous.  The atrocities of Hitler are so far beyond what we can conceive as evil.  Here we are, 65 years removed from World War II, and I still don't think we have a proper perspective on it.

So I was already primed a little when I read this news story today, in which Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann compared our current tax situation to the Holocaust.  Yes, because how much we are taxing and spending is the same thing as millions of people dying at the hands of a ruthless dictator.  She denies equating the two things, but then says, "...we are seeing eclipsed in front of our eyes a similar death and a similar taking away. It is this disenfranchisement that I think we have to answer to."

I don't mind that people think differently than I do on government taxation and expenditures.  I understand that the rich pay more than their fair share of taxes versus the poor (or me).  I understand that some people would rather a more equitable rate, but I just don't see that as sustainable.  So I'm in favor of raising taxes on very high levels of income a little, and on gigantic corporations a lot.

But I don't need to disparage history to say that.  As quoted in the article, she says, "The question comes down to this: what will you say to that next generation about what you did to make sure that wouldn't be their fate?"  Her answer, would clearly be, "I co-opted the suffering of millions in an attempt to use fear and guilt in order to convince more people to vote for me and my ideas, regardless of whether or not they actually benefited from those ideas."

I have conservative friends.  I have friends that support Rep. Bachmann.  I apply a direct appeal to you: please don't support her with donations, and please don't vote for her.  I'm not asking you to change you beliefs to match mine, though I'd be happy to discuss that with you if you want to.  Instead, I ask you to find another candidate that represents your ideas just as well without resorting to shameful comparisons that disrespect the memory of so many people that died for no reason but hate, and those that fought, knowing or unknowingly  for their freedom and liberation, as well as ours.  Find a candidate that might represent the optimism of our country's founding without misrepresenting, misusing, or just straight up getting blatantly wrong the history of our country and the world in order to score political points.

In this moment, here and now, let's join together to say, "No!  We won't let you do that to us."