To the Editor:

National Socialist Hitler, though no king, did rule with absolute power, from freedom of speech, to “the final solution” to “the Jewish question,” his word was law. Like an emperor, or a Czar, or a king. Hitler, whose party’s name was abbreviated into the portmanteau “Nazi,” had absolute power. Imagine nationwide protests against the National Socialist dictator, in Nazi Germany.

The White Rose did imagine that. It was a nonviolent German resistance group, composed of students and others opposed to the National Socialist dictatorship of Hitler. The nonviolent group opposed the Nazi regime during World War II.

Siblings Hans and Sophie Scholl led the group in distributing leaflets and in using graffiti to inform others of the National Socialists’ atrocities. They called for resistance to Hitler. The Gestapo (Secret State, or National Police) captured them. Hans and Sophie were executed by guillotine in February 1943.

Did the No Kings protesters truly fear that grisly fate, because of their protests, which may have attracted almost 1 percent of United States citizens? Did they risk being called names by any “Gestapo” or other “Nazis” as their opposition has been called?

The No Kings folks appeared to have had fun, as they relived the experiences of many of their own 1960s era protests. Some younger folks also enjoyed the fun. This was a rich-in-emotion 1 percent.

Did this 1 percent realise that they demonstrated their freedom to oppose the United States government, even under President Trump, for all the world, from Russia to communist China?

Edgar V. Tolmie

Altamont

Editor’s note: About 4 percent of registered voters in the United States attended the Oct. 18 No Kings rallies according to organizers who estimated nearly 7 million people participated.