Poor example from history

In Rusty Nelson’s guest opinion piece (Jan. 17) he says that Norway resisted Nazi Germany nonviolently during World War II and that this is an example of how things should be done. Mr. Nelson must have failed modern world history. I’d like to enlighten him with a few facts.

Germany invaded Norway on April 9, 1940, and occupied and controlled the country until May 8, 1945. Civil rule was assumed by a Reich Commission through a puppet leader, Vidkun Quisling. Quisling’s last name would become a synonym for traitor.

Hitler garrisoned Norway with 300,000 troops: about one for every eight Norwegians. All political parties were banned but Quisling’s. Labor unions, other civic groups and local government leaders were all chosen by the Reich Commission.

One-third of Norwegian Jews were exterminated, and about 5 percent of all Norwegians fled to one place or another. During the war, Nazis killed 10,262 Norwegians, fathered 50,000 children by Norwegian women under duress and confiscated 40 percent of Norway’s GDP. Norwegians were forced to help Hitler with his atomic bomb development.

If this is sparing yourself from domination peacefully, then let me head for the hills with a rifle.

Joe Polowski

Deer Park