Kip Wilson

Because I study Nazi Germany and know history can repeat itself

I’m excited to vote for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz for many reasons, but at the top of my list is their strong belief in and support of democracy. I simply cannot get behind a candidate making statements like “I will be a dictator on day one” or “You won’t have to vote anymore.”

Not even if they were my party’s chosen candidate. Not even if they were a candidate I otherwise liked. Not even if I agreed with the rest of their platform.

Why? Because I study Nazi Germany, including its origins. The Nazis didn’t start their reign of terror with concentration camps and invasions of other countries. They started with hateful rhetoric and anti-democratic plans to take over the government. Their infamous Beer Hall Putsch of 1923 failed, but it gave the Nazis the spotlight they wanted to push their agenda. With support from a wider slice of the population, they soon rose to power legally, at which point democracy in Germany was over until after the end of World War II.

History clearly proves that individuals who have already openly participated in an insurrection are the last people we should trust with the leadership of our country. If you think a dictatorship can’t happen here, you’re wrong. It can happen anywhere, and it can most definitely happen here if we don’t get behind the candidates who’ve expressed their unwavering support of democracy: Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

If there’s one issue that should matter to everyone, it’s the future of our democracy. Don’t let history repeat itself.

Kip Wilson is a YA author with a PhD in German literature.