Kentucky Dad Now Thinks Dressing as a Nazi With His Son for Halloween Was a Bad Move

Dressing up in a genuine Nazi uniform for Halloween—or any other occasion, for that matter—is always a bad idea. But making your 5-year-old son wear one too is an even worse idea.

Owensboro, KY, resident Bryant Goldbach has apologized for offending people by dressing as a Nazi, and dressing his son as Adolf Hitler, for a Thursday evening Halloween event. He said he did it because they “love history and often dress the part of historical figures,” the Lexington Herald-Leader reported.

But before Goldbach apologized, he vented on Facebook about being mistreated in public over the uniforms. “Tonight grown adults threatened a child over his costume. Threatened his mom and dad as well. Threatened to rip his outfit off of him screaming obscenities, scareing [sic] a small child,” he wrote, adding,“We saw people dressed as murderers, devils, serial killers, blood and gore of all sorts. Nobody batted an eye. But my little boy and i, dress as historical figures, and it merits people not only making snide remarks, but approaching us and threatening my little 5 year old boy.”

The comment has since been removed from Facebook. A photo Goldbach posted along with the message ended up going viral on Twitter, generating an angry backlash.

Goldbach had also complained in earlier posts that “White pride doesn’t mean hate,” USA Today reported.

WEHT Eyewitness News, which first reported the story, broadcast an interview with Goldbach, who apologized and called it a poor decision. He claimed the costume idea was a last-minute decision, and he started to regret it as people began calling him out in public.

“It happened about the time we had the first person approach us. I mean, it was that time that clued me in that, OK, maybe we [shouldn’t have done] this,” he said.

“Not everybody has the devotion to living history that I have,” he added. “It’s, I don’t know how else to put it, except that I’m sorry. I feel like I’ve hurt a lot of people. And, uh, you know, I’d give anything to make it right.”

Rabbi Gary Mazo, of Temple Adath B’nai Israel, called the situation “a sad reflection of our society,” according to USA Today. “If your costume calls to mind an event where millions were killed, choose another costume,” he wrote in a statement.