Contrary to Popular(ish) Belief...

President Barack Obama is not Hitler. Shocking announcement, I know. I've seen so many signs, posters, t-shirts, and Facebook posts somehow linking Obama to Hitler and I'm tired of it.

I've been to the National Holocaust Museum not once, but twice. Through that, I've been given a thorough explanation of exactly what the Holocaust was and who the man mostly responsible for it was. And I've got to tell you, our current President doesn't resemble him in the least.

Now, I'm not advocating blindly following our political leaders. If you disagree with policy decisions made by our President that's completely fine. It is your right to do so. In fact, disagreement can be positive because it can bring new ideas to the table. If no one had disagreed that the gas lamp was a crappy way to be able to see at night, then we may never have had the light bulb.

However, that being said, I cringe and feel bile start coming up my throat when I hear policy decisions being compared to the mass execution of over 6 million people. First of all, it's inaccurate and alarmist. Secondly, it demonizes someone to a degree that they don't deserve and haven't earned. And third, it minimizes the actual Holocaust, who Hitler really was, and what he really believed. The Holocaust and Hitler himself are so far beyond the realm of any immoral act committed by any of our American politicians that they don't deserve to ever be put in the same category, unless that politician can literally be blamed for ordering the death of millions upon millions of people in cold blood. And to my knowledge, although we have seen some extremely corrupt and truly awful charlatans in our American political system, I don't believe we have anyone that can be (truthfully) put on the same level as Hitler, if we're honest with ourselves.

I didn't agree when people portrayed George W. Bush as Hitler either, and I was and am no supporter of Bush. Long was his list of crimes, but mass genocide was not one of them, and he should not have been portrayed as such a character. Besides, he had so many other faults and mistakes that there was no need to go that far. What he actually did was bad enough. But not bad enough to be equated to Hitler.

My point is, don't compare someone who has made policy decisions that you disagree with to someone who murdered millions of people. It's unethical and extremely insensitive to the people who actually suffered through the Holocaust.