Last month, the world would see the 20th anniversary of the U.N. officially designating Jan. 27 as International Holocaust Remembrance Day.
This was done to ensure that the world would remember the Holocaust and use that history to work and prevent future acts of genocide by continually educating and reflecting on the dangers of hatred, antisemitism and all forms of discrimination.
Jan. 27, 1945, was the day Soviet forces would liberate the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration and extermination camp that had been created in Nazi-occupied Poland, and was the war’s largest Nazi death camp, where over 1.1 million people were murdered.
It should also be remembered that while the Jewish people unquestionably bore the lion’s share of the Nazi atrocities that are felt even today, and will be for generations to come, many others would also be victims to their hatred. By the late 1930s, identified mixed-race children were forcibly sterilized, and people of color were excluded from holding jobs or attending universities. Those who were noticeably disabled, be it physically or mentally, or just perceived to have disabilities, were subjected to forced sterilization, and by the end of the regime, estimates close to 250,000 disabled people were murdered. LGBTQ people by the thousands would be imprisoned or sent to concentration camps, Free Masons, Jehovah’s Witnesses, political opponents, and even trade unionists, would all be victims of this brutality.
During my time as mayor, our local temple leaders and many of their congregations would gather outside of City Hall as they grieved their family and friends who were victims of the Oct. 7 attack on the Jewish people in 2023, killing more than 1,200 people while committing acts of grotesque violence and dehumanization upon them. I will never forget standing beside Rabbi Jay Siegel as he spoke to the people, and seeing the passion, the outrage, and the restraint that he wore on his face that day. Even now, our friends and family still await the return of their loved ones who were taken over two years ago. To Rabbi Mark Blazer, Rabbi Siegel, and Rabbi Choni Marozov, thank you for your commitment to your congregations, your people, and to Santa Clarita, where you stand with strength, determination and faith.
When we recount history, or bring historical references to the goings-on of today, it is imperative that we remember the best of times, and the worst of times, with a clear and accurate accounting. We will see it often, especially in politics, to reference the actions of parties and people in elected power to those grotesque actions of the past, when in truth, they have no comparison at all.
Comparing people, especially political opponents, to Nazis is not only historically ignorant but also deeply offensive and morally repugnant. The atrocities committed by the Nazi regime represent one of the darkest, most horrifying chapters in human history.
To equate this unparalleled evil with today’s Republican Party, or any modern political party for that matter, is an act of grotesque dishonesty and deliberate manipulation. It trivializes the suffering of Holocaust victims and their families, reducing a real genocide to nothing more than a rhetorical cudgel used to score cheap political points. Our party, like any political organization, consists of a diverse range of individuals with differing views, yet any blanket accusation that they are akin to Nazis is a repulsive smear that disregards both history and reality.
Not only is this comparison historically false, but it also poisons political discourse, making meaningful debate nearly impossible. It dehumanizes people with differing views, painting them as monstrous villains rather than fellow citizens with legitimate perspectives.
Worse yet, this kind of rhetoric erodes the weight of the term “Nazi,” making it harder to recognize and condemn real instances of totalitarianism and hate when they arise. Instead of engaging in hyperbolic name-calling, political discourse should be rooted in facts, reason and good faith. By invoking one of history’s greatest human tragedies in such a flippant and irresponsible manner, those who make this comparison reveal not only their lack of historical knowledge but also their willingness to exploit real suffering for their own political agenda.
May the Jewish people be blessed with peace and security, may we respect our political differences with wisdom and understanding, and may our grace guide us all toward unity and compassion, today and beyond.
Jason Gibbs is a member of the Santa Clarita City Council. “Right Here, Right Now” appears Saturdays and rotates among local Republicans.
