On two occasions, first as a college graduate in 1967 and second as a physician in 1977, I traveled throughout post-war West Germany. As an American Jew, son of a WWII army officer and grandson of Russian immigrants, traveling to Germany was not without some trepidation.

Throughout my travels, I enjoyed the hospitality of dozens of Germans from all walks of life. Always in the back of my mind, and rarely asked, was the question: “What did you or your father do during the war?”

Sometimes, however, after a few beers in a darkened hofbrauhaus the question was tactfully raised. Of course, the usual answers spewed forth. Yet as the night wore on and our alcohol consumption increased, some of the older men expressed regret about their participation in the war and some of the younger Germans talked of shame, even loathing, toward their fathers.

Flash forward a half-century. As our country faces a grave constitutional crisis, how will the children and grandchildren of Trump sycophants in positions of power eventually regard their fathers. In no way do I suggest there is a moral equivalence between Nazi officials and elected and appointed Trump supporters. I would, however, observe that these white men are, in general, motivated by their desire to retain political power and influence rather than uphold the Constitution. And I can’t help but wonder if future generations will someday ask: “Daddy, what did you do during the impeachment?”

Larry Kaplan, MD

Cape Elizabeth