Political signs are becoming more and more common and will be until the general election is over. I've seen my fair share of them off of Highway 55, in the windows of people's cars and on bumper stickers. Typically, I don't pay them much attention as I wouldn't consider myself politically active in any sense of the word. I vote, and that's about the extent of my political life.

There was one sign I saw just the other day, though, that upset me a bit. It was a sign in the back of someone's car, taped to the back windshield (is that even legal?) that read, “Trump is literally Hitler.”

Really? Literally Hitler? Doesn't that seem just a wee bit hyperbolic?

Giant Douche vs. Turd Sandwich

Hear me out. I am no Trump fan, nor am I a fan of any politician. My personal opinion aligns with the "South Park" episode that essentially states every election boils down to choosing between a giant douche and a turd sandwich. Sure, some turds are bigger and better than other turds, and some douches might be more effective than other douches, but really, you are still choosing between a douche and a turd.

Many people have now compared Trump to Hitler. There are many Twitter accounts out there for just that purpose. Glenn Beck, Bill Maher and "Saturday Night Live" have all also made the comparison. Comedian Louis C.K. equated the two in an email to his fans. C.K. argues in his email that Hitler was voted into power in a very similar manner to Trump's own rise. C.K. writes:

“Because American democracy is broken enough that a guy like [Trump] could really f*** things up. That’s how Hitler got there. He was voted into power by a fatigued nation and when he got inside he did all his Hitler things and no one could stop him.”

Is that really the case though? I guess you could argue that Trump's original family name “Drumpf” is German in origin, depending on which sources you use. And of course, Hitler ruled Germany, so there you go.

Let's Look at Some Quick Facts

In all seriousness, let's have a look at the facts (crazy thought, I know):

1. Hitler was appointed as Chancellor by the president of Germany in 1933 before he became the country's dictator. Last time I checked, Trump hasn't been appointed to any political office by Obama or any other president. In fact, he hasn't held any political office yet.

2. Hitler was a staunch anti-capitalist, along with some other choice ideological goals:

"Hitler’s ideological goals included territorial expansion, consolidation of a racially pure state, and elimination of the European Jews and other perceived enemies of Germany."

On the other hand, I think Trump is probably one of the biggest supporters of capitalism, when it "works properly." Furthermore, I can't find any evidence of him wanting to increase territorial expansion or to make a racially pure state.

3. Obviously, Hitler was an anti-Semite. Many people accuse Trump of being an antisemitic because in a speech to the Republican Jewish Coalition, he refused to state that Jerusalem should remain the undivided capital of Israel, among discussing other political stances. You'll have to forgive me for my ignorance, but what about that statement leads people to believe that Trump is antisemitic? I have not read one statement from Trump—taken in context—that leads me to believe he is an anti-Semite.

4. Hitler encouraged violence and the use of terror tactics to break up his opponents' meetings.

"Under the emergency decree, [political opponents] could be terrorized, beaten and held indefinitely. Leaders of trade unions and opposition parties were arrested."

I don't think I recall any Trump supporter at a Hillary or Bernie rally using violence, though there have been many incidents where Trump protesters have turned to violence. (Some people might point out that originally Trump said that he would pay the legal fees for the man that punched a protester at one of his rallies, but he has since changed his position, now stating, “I don't condone violence.")

5. And lastly, but perhaps most importantly, Hitler killed either directly or indirectly over11 million people in the Holocaust. That's 11,000,000 people. There is no possible way that any rational person could equate Trump's political ideals, however distasteful they might be, to a full-blown genocide. To do so is disparaging to the victims and the survivors of the Holocaust.

So... Is Trump Literally Hitler?

Absolutely not. Sure, you might be able to compare some of his politics to Hitler's, just like you can with any politician out there. Trump is hardly the first political figure in the arena to be compared to the genocidal maniac. Some of the other contenders for the modern Hitler include current POTUS Barack Obama, former POTUS George W. Bush, former POTUS Ronald Reagan and Russian President Vladimir Putin. Trump seems to be in the Hitler-crowd with plenty of company.

Let's be clear: the only person who is “literally Hitler” was Hitler. Really people, let's stop with the “Trump is Hitler” bull. You aren't trendy, you aren't right and you certainly aren't funny.