I am an American of remote German descent. I am descended from two male German ancestors—two cousins—who came together to America in the middle 1600’s. Not long after they arrived they engaged in several real estate transactions which resulted in the Americanization of their surnames, which became my surname today. I have long been interested in German history and especially the role of Germany in both World Wars. My father and six uncles served in WWII.
My interest in German History became a minor in German, leading to becoming a teacher of German (and mathematics) in a large Texas high school. From time to time I would spend summer weeks in Texas towns where German was spoken naturally and fluently. I have forced myself to face the inhuman behavior that has been recorded in newsreels and some captured films taken by German torturers and murderers.
At bottom, the videos I have seen today on TV make me cringe at their familiarity.
Over many years I have faced the horrors that Nazi Germany perpetrated on those whom they hated, and it never gets easier. Much of what I have seen from the DC videos reminds me of Nazi Germany—not only the violence but also the exuberance of the violators.
However, I do not think for one moment that the horrors we have just seen are rare, nor are they any more terrorizing than the horrors perpetrated by white supremacists throughout early American history. Our black citizens have lived with the threat of horror for centuries. It is wrong and the white supremacy regime must be broken now, not later, but now and forever.
Finally. video recordings of such violence must be performed everywhere. Recording such violence may not reduce the violence, but it at least will enable justice to identify and punish the perpetrators.