Leave The Third Reich Out Of It

To the Editor:

I am a long time subscriber to The Bee who has enjoyed reading the weekly letters to the editor. It has helped me to gain a greater understanding of issues, concerns, and good works of the town I call home. This past week there were two letters, side by side, that made me pause. One was a letter calling for increased civility in our public lives. The second was another in a series of recent letters addressing national political issues.  While I cherish freedom of speech and appreciate a healthy debate, I do believe that this particular author crossed the line.

The comparison of our current democratically elected administration to the Nazi party of Germany is obscene. It is an affront to the 200,000 solders killed and 550,000 wounded in the Allied mission to free occupied Europe. Given the enormity of the evil perpetrated by Hitler’s Germany, it is inappropriate to evoke Third Reich imagery to make political points.

I know that many issues affecting our town and our country will continue to be debated by means of this forum. I only hope that future letters will represent a higher level of civility, sensitivity, and decency.

Michael E. Filler

47 Hundred Acres Road, Newtown                       September 7, 2009