January 11, 2021

Elections have consequences, as people on all sides of the political spectrum like to point out. When we choose our leaders, we are choosing to live with the consequences. And a lesson from history is that we must choose our leaders carefully.

The events of last week made this lesson painfully clear. Four years ago, the United States elected a man who has indicated, through word and deed, that he does not believe in the fundamental tenets of democracy. And last week, that man, true to form, encouraged his supporters to storm the U.S. Capitol, assault our Congressional leaders and undermine the solemn process of certifying the will of the people.

In many ways, it was shocking. In other ways, it came as no surprise at all. What happened in Washington last week has happened before.

I am a scholar of the Holocaust, and I want to be very clear that I do not equate President Donald Trump with Hitler, nor do I believe that his supporters are Nazis (although there are certainly neo-Nazis among them). But I learned long ago that a democracy can be destroyed from within. And I am reminded once again why it is so important that we continue teaching history, continue learning its lessons and continue educating people about how to treasure the privilege that is democracy.

It is easy to forget that Adolf Hitler first came to power through a free and fair democratic election. Germans voting in 1932 weren’t voting for war and genocide; they were voting for a populist leader who spoke to their anger and grievances. And then they lived with the consequences of that vote: in February 1933, Hitler’s alliesburned down the Reichstag, Germany’s parliament. It was a physical attack on the seat of government, horribly echoed last Wednesday.

Just as right-wing media tried to pin last week’s riot on Antifa, the Nazis tried to obscure their involvement in the Reichstag fire by blaming communists. But unlike last week’s riot, 1933’s putsch was a success: The attack provided Hitler with the excuse to dissolve parliament and assume emergency powers. That same year, he created a new court system, all in the name of security.

A Capitol Police officer was killed in last week’s insurrection, and we’ve all seen the videos of offices ransacked, property stolen and other officers assaulted and overrun. Since the attack, bombs have been located and firearms recovered. Had those bombs gone off or had those weapons been fired, we could well have had our own Reichstag fire.

We didn’t, of course. Our democracy continues to function — as evidenced by the Electoral College certification that was delayed but not halted. Our courts have stood strong and independent. Our decentralized, federal system makes it nearly impossible for one individual or faction to usurp control, a testament to the enduring wisdom and foresight of the Founding Fathers.

Last week’s insurrection was powered by conspiracy theories, which spread with near-impunity on social media. Conspiracies about voting machines. About rampant pedophilia. About Jewish power. In one widely seen photograph, one Trump supporter wore a t-shirt emblazoned with the horrific words, “Camp Auschwitz.”

I am always amazed at how the survivors of the Holocaust, in spite of all they saw, remind us to be alert. “Just because the Nazis are gone does not mean that evil is gone in this world,” said the survivor George Papanek in 1996. “Take seriously what is happening in the world now and be engaged.”

What’s the best way to fight surges in hatred? I believe last week’s events remind us of the need to educate, to stand up for truth, to build bridges of understanding. There may not be much that can be done to change the minds of those already pursuing extremist ideals, but education is the strongest antidote to the fever sweeping across too much of our country. Education has the power to mitigate the spread of radicalization and even prevent it from taking hold.

Education has the power to mitigate the spread of radicalization.

On the day of President Trump’s inauguration in 2017, the USC Shoah Foundation launched an educational project called “100 Days to Inspire Respect.” Each day for more than three months, USC published new educational resources on themes including racism, xenophobia and civic responsibility. Such lessons are crucial — regardless of the party or president in power — because who we choose to lead us is based on the values we hold dear. The 100 Days to Inspire Respect will run again beginning January 20, 2021.

When our Capitol is under attack, we are all under attack. It is up to all of us to teach history, teach democratic values, teach civics. It is up to all of us to keep our democracy alive.

Stephen D. Smith is Finci-Viterbi Executive Director Chair of the USC Shoah Foundation. He is also the UNESCO Chair on Genocide Education.

The other day, I may have been a tad overzealous in giving kitchen directives to my husband. “You have so many rules,” he observed. Guilty as charged, I thought.

But I pointed out that his mother, Elaine (of blessed memory), was looking down in approval. Elaine and I bonded in the kitchen, where we both were fussbudgets. In the beginning of our relationship, I was a lightweight compared to her: When my husband and his brother were kids, Elaine would wait each morning until she heard their approaching footsteps before squeezing oranges, lest some of the Vitamin C be dissipated before the boys drank their juice.

I learned the fine art of safe food storage and preparation from Elaine. Everything that she brought into her home from the grocery store was sanitized in some fashion — and this was in the days before disinfecting wipes. I admit that from time to time I overstep, as when I advised a young relative to scrub the avocados before cutting into them.

My food fretting has even seeped into my enjoyment of cooking shows, especially during the pandemic. One of my favorite shows, Food Network’s “The Pioneer Woman,” has been stressing me out. The show’s star, Ree Drummond, who started out as a popular blogger and now runs an empire of eateries, cookbooks, merchandise and a hotel, still creates new shows at her family’s Oklahoma ranch. Her current film crew is comprised of her kids, a nephew and sometimes the kids’ friends.

In one episode, Drummond remarked that her younger daughter and a pal, both in the kitchen, were going to the lake that day with some other kids. I speculated that no masks or social distancing would be involved. But what made me totally verklempt was an episode in which Drummond cooked lunch for more than a dozen cattle workers and family members. I figured the meal would take place outside, but it was served buffet style inside, with everyone seated around one table. “What a crowd,” one participant observed.

Most alarming was that Drummond’s elderly father-in-law, Chuck, was part of the mix. I feared the misguided message this episode was sending to Drummond’s many fans, especially with coronavirus cases surging everywhere. Clearly, Food Network needs a CFO — a Chief Fussbudget Officer.

Clearly, Food Network needs a CFO — a Chief Fussbudget Officer.

These days, a lot of us have changed our approach to food. I’ve had to cede some control: Because I’m high-risk for COVID-19 complications, I’ve been using curbside pickup or delivery services. But I don’t fret at all about someone else doing my shopping. Rather, I feel extreme gratitude for the men and women providing this essential service. (And, of course, the best way to express thanks to these folks is to give a generous tip and a high rating in the after-shopping survey.)

I’ve heard more than one fellow fussbudget say that they don’t like the idea of other people touching their groceries. But let’s get real — most items in a market have had close encounters with many hands and pesticides, used to deter rodents and bugs. Never mind COVID-19, there may be other matters you don’t want to eat on your groceries! That’s why fussbudgets suggest washing off cans, bottles, milk and juice cartons and glass and plastic containers. It’s also smart to clean all produce, even things with inedible skins, such as bananas. And the best food safety advice is to wash your hands frequently in the kitchen, especially when handling raw meats and eggs.

But experts advise we’re not likely to get coronavirus from, say, a box of cereal, because the disease is a respiratory illness, spread by airborne droplets. However, you will be at risk of infecting yourself and others if you go out and about without a mask.

Lately, I’ve wondered how Elaine would have responded to the pandemic. In all the years I knew her, I never once heard her swear. But I am certain she would have cursed Donald Trump for harming her family and all Americans by rejecting the guidance of scientists and health experts. And she would have wasted no time in establishing a new fussbudget routine — setting up her sewing machine on the kitchen table. I can picture her now, making masks for the family, reminding us to cover up whenever we leave home.

Emily Dwass is the author of “Diagnosis Female: How Medical Bias Endangers Women’s Health.”