Then They Came For Me

Posted on by under Election 2020, Election 2022, Election 2024, History, Law and justice, Political commentary, Racism & Bigotry, Social commentary, voting rights

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—
     Because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

You’ve all heard and read this poem, written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, more than a few times.  Niemöller penned this in 1946, at the end of WWII, the end of the Holocaust that took more than 6 million lives.  It is engraved on a plaque at the New England Holocaust Memorial in Boston, Massachusetts, and is known worldwide.  The poem speaks volumes and should serve as a warning to people all around the world today.

Here in the United States, they are coming for our voting rights, for our right to have a voice in our government.  They are coming for our right to peacefully protest those things we see happening, such as police brutally killing unarmed Black men.  What will they come for next?

“They” who are coming for our rights are not necessarily who you might think.  Most of us, if asked who ‘they’ are, would likely say “Republicans”.  Understandably, for they are the ones writing the voter suppression bills, the ones writing the bills that now allow people to run down and kill even peaceful protestors.  But the truth of the matter is that the Republicans are but pawns in a much bigger game.  They are puppets being moved like pieces on a chess board by the likes of Charles Koch and other uber-wealthy men who want to ensure their pawns stay in power, to ensure that We the People have only a very limited voice, or preferably in their eyes, no voice in how our government operates.

They work hand-in-hand with the likes of Vladimir Putin to buy politicians such as Donald Trump, Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy, Ted Cruz and more.  They don’t choose the brightest bulbs in the pack to do their dirty work, but the weakest, those who have the most to lose if elections going forward are fair and honest, if every person over the age of 18 in this country has a vote, a voice.

HR1, now S1, For the People Act, would expand voter’s rights, end partisan gerrymandering, increase access to ballot boxes, postal ballots, and the polls.  But, what frightens the shadowy cabals pulling the puppet strings the most is that it would limit secret campaign spending and provide more transparency about political donors, effectively stemming the flow of ‘dark money’ in politics.  None other than the ignoble billionaire Charles Koch has said that congressional republicans would do better to ignore the will of the people and simply kill the bill in Congress.  To whatever extent possible, that is what they will do, and we will never know quite what hit us.

The Heritage Foundation, a conservative organization that consistently ‘advised’ the former guy on his staff picks, recognized that the For the People Act is tremendously popular almost equally among democrats and republicans, so they have encouraged members of Congress to subject the bill to the filibuster and shut it down before it ever sees the light of day.  That is precisely what they are planning to do, and with the help of two Democrats, Joe Manchin from West Virginia, and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona.

Then they came for me—and there was no one left to speak for me.

40 thoughts on “Then They Came For Me”

  4. Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
    This is one of my favorite poems … I learned about it and the meaning remained engrained in my mind!! … “You’ve all heard and read this poem, written by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller, more than a few times. Niemöller penned this in 1946, at the end of WWII, the end of the Holocaust that took more than 6 million lives.” … applies to so many things in life. Yet … it came ‘alive’ in my conscious brain in 2016.

    Liked by 2 people

  5. what about people like george soros who has billions, also influences elections and buys politicians? what, no bitching about him and his money? I thought all billionaires were evil and bad.
    Maybe it’s just those to the right of stalin who are worth complaining about.

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    • I have very little use for most uber-wealthy people, for their lust for more money, for power, supersedes others’ needs for survival. Soros, Gates, and others are philanthropists who use their money to do good things for people. Soros has given billions to such causes as education for the poor, democracy, free speech, and more. He is given far too much credit by conservatives for manipulating governments. Don’t believe everything you read.

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    • It seems to be a global problem … having more money than one needs seems to lead to a lust for more, at any cost. And you’re right … when we begin to take such things as democratic principles for granted, we are destined to lose them. Sigh.

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Jill, one of the things I have noticed, when the truth is not a currency that is used for an argument, the name calling, labelling and volume increases. The best solution is to ask questions and listen. When one has to think of answers to lies they have used, it is harder to explain. It is harder with the shamelessness of many who spew lies such as , Trump, Carlson, Gohmert, Johnson, Hannity, etc., but we still must push back and ask questions. And, spread the word. Keith

    Liked by 3 people

    • I fully agree with you on this, BUT … I have found that when I ask questions, I never get a sensible answer. Back in 2016, I would ask Trump-supporting friends, “What, exactly, do you think he will do for this nation?” The reply was always either, “He tells it like it is”, or “You just don’t like him”. Non-answers. The same is true today, and even our elected representatives have stock non-answers when we ask the important questions.

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  8. And what will MAGA followers do, if the day comes and these folk take control, and as they will decide that actually
    1. There are far too many guns in the hands of folk who are not under their direct control, and ‘for the good of the nation and with the co-operation of a ‘restructured’ NRA that it is time for ‘responsible’ gun owning.
    2. That there are groups who really are not trustworthy and need to be brought into line, through the ‘due processes of law’ (Proud Boys you had better read what happened to the German SA after they proved to be too unruly).
    3. That there are senators and congress folk who once useful have proven to be far too controversial for the new regime and happen to be the ones you voted for.
    Because MAGA what you are missing is that in the long term what any group looking to hold onto power is seeking is ‘Stability’ and those who helped them there do not always suit that Stability.
    What are you going to to do then?
    When ‘they’ the ones you thought you trusted come for you?
    And don’t think it couldn’t happen in the USA. Some folk you thought were friends want that ‘United’ to stay at any price (apart from their own of course)

    Liked by 2 people

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