Remember Adolf Hitler

At this past weekend’s March for Women’s Lives, about 1,000 antiabortion counterprotesters heckled the marchers. I thought the following line of argument, as described in the Boston Globe, was fairly remarkable:

A few blocks down the street, Randall Terry, president of the antiabortion Society for Truth and Justice and founder of the Operation Rescue, stood atop Freedom Plaza and — with the help of loudspeakers — told marchers they should be ashamed: “Remember, Adolph Hitler had big crowds in the 1930s.”

Well, sure. Adolf Hitler also had a mustache. Not to mention that he is alleged by some to have been vegetarian. Does that mean vegetarians or mustached men (I fit into both categories) should be ashamed?

Moreover, the New York Yankees have big crowds. So do George Bush and Britney Spears.

Maybe the Globe took Terry’s quote out of context, but it’s hard to believe anyone would find that bit of the analogy even vaguely persuasive.

Democracy Now!, my favorite webcast radio news, has great coverage of the march, including several extended video segments of the speakers. If you couldn’t make it down to DC last weekend, I suggest watching this footage online to get at least a little taste of the events.

(Minor update: apparently the Boston Globe got the spelling wrong—it’s Adolf, not Adolph. Fixed in my text.)