Unprecedented?

Shannon Bohrer

(8/2024) The word "unprecedented" has been used frequently since 2015. When running for office, the former president disparaged John McCain, disrespected a Gold Star family, and bragged about molesting women. The press would describe his behaviors and words each time as "unprecedented." The press also believed each deed would prohibit him from being elected. The press was wrong.

After being elected, his abnormal behavior became the norm. During his entire time in office, the word "unprecedented" was commonly used to describe his actions. His words and actions, friendships with dictators and authoritarian leaders, while verbally disapproving of our allies, were puzzling. His attempted interference with Ukrainian politics, to interfere with our election, and his attempts to stay in power were routinely described as unprecedented. News reporters often said the word unprecedented was an overused term, yet it accurately described the administration. They were wrong again.

After losing the election in 2019, and before leaving office, the former president created schemes, many of which were illegal, to stay in office. Reporters continued to describe his behavior as unprecedented. It could be helpful if the press stopped using the word unprecedented, yet they continue to say it best describes his actions and words. While many of the words and actions during his administration, and since then, were immoral, unprincipled, unscrupulous, deceitful, and just plain dishonest, the word unprecedented does not always apply.

The actions of planning to overthrow the government, subverting Democracy, and having a ruler that reflects fascism occurred before and occurred here on January 6, 2020. The idea that we should be a Christian nation, eliminating other faiths and religions, has occurred before. Of course, the idea that white Anglo-Saxon males should rule not just our country but the world has also occurred before. The reported interference from foreign governments, which occurred in the last two elections and is predicted to reappear, has also happened before. While many politicians deny foreign influence, that has also occurred before. Additionally, as before, we have politicians that are supportive of these undertakings. Therefore, the words and actions they use - are not totally unprecedented.

In the 1930s, when Hitler was in the initial stages of becoming a fascist leader, he had many admirers and groups in his country. They believed the United States needed a strong leader, not unlike Hitler. An American fascist organization, the German American Bund, was founded in 1936. Their objective was to create an American Nazi party, like the German Nazi Party. The Bund’s even duplicated Hitler’s youth camps, creating twenty youth training centers. Camp Siegfried, on Long Island, hosted 40,000 people in one year. The Bunds revered Hitler and believed that the Jews were responsible for the world’s problems.

In February 1939, the Bunds held a rally at Madison Square Garden in New York. The group’s leader, Fritz Kuhn, was well known for praising Hitler and the degrading of Jews, which was their unofficial platform. The leaders at the event described it as a "mass demonstration for the Americanism." Banner and signs included "Wake up America! Smash Jewish Communism and Stop Jewish Domination of Christian Americans." Part of Kuhn’s address was for the "government [to] be returned to the American People Who Founded it." It was reported that twenty-two thousand people attended the rally. The hall was decorated with Nazi swastikas, and attendees openly performed gave Nazi salutes, many while wearing Nazi uniforms.

Another organization that wanted to end our democracy was the Silver Shirts. The group was created in 1933 by William Dudley Pelley. Pelley admired Hitler and believed that what Hitler had done in Germany could be duplicated in the United States. Headquartered in Ashville, North Carolina, the Silver Shirts had chapters similar to the Bunds across the country. They were easily identified as wearing silver-colored shirts with a large L on the left shoulder. Strangely, the L stood for liberation.

According to their literature, they wanted to bring religion back to America. They also believed all privately owned lands should belong to the state, slavery should be re-instituted, and all Jews should be deported. Those loyal to the cause would share in the seized property. So, the L on the shirt only had the liberation meaning if you were one of them. Pelley claimed to have been visited by Jesus, who approved of his plans.

Because the Silver Shirts never had enough members to take the country forcibly, Pelley also founded the Christian Party. With this party, Pelley was going to run for president. His third-party candidacy slogan was "For Christ and the Constitution." He lost.

An influential individual who despised Jews and believed in fascism was Father Coughlin. A catholic priest, born in Canada but living in Michigan. Father Coughlin was known as the "Radio Priest" because he had a weekly radio program that reached an estimated thirty million people, about a quarter of the population then.

Father Coughlin preached more politics than religion. He began as a supporter of President Roosevelt but later accused him of being Jewish and collaborating with Jewish bankers. He established the National Union for Social Justice, which called for reforms, including the nationalization of industries and railroads. Sounds like socialism.

He praised Hitler and fascism on his radio programs." He said, "When we get through with the Jews in America, they’ll think the treatment they received in Germany was Nothing." He believed democracy was doomed and fascism would replace it. Oddly, while he spoke highly of Hitler and Mussolini, he distanced himself from the German American Bund. He also insisted he was not an antisemite.

In 1938, a House Committee on Un-American Activities was created to investigate disloyal and subversion activities in the U.S. It was reported that the German Library of Information, titled "The Facts in Review," was responsible for mailing pro-German weekly digest to nearly 100,000 Americans teachers, elected officials, priest, and others. "The Facts in Review" explained why Germany was a victim and why Hitler was right to disregard treaties and invade other countries. The Committee stated that the German Government was targeting the American Public with propaganda, trying to influence our government and our elections, not unlike Russia and China today.

The politics of today, along with private organizations attempting to influence our government and our elections, is not unprecedented. Project 2025, the Republican plan for governing the country, outlines imparting Christian values into the government and society. The plan called for more executive power, resembling an authoritarian government, not unlike an autocracy. There would be no separation of church and state. Of course, to implement the plan, at least parts of our constitution would be suspended. Many of the authors in the plan are former government employees.

As William Falkner once said, "The past is never dead, It’s not even past."