Tag: standing for truth

FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS

First they came for the Jews and I did not speak out because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.

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

Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.
IT IS HAPPENING AGAIN.
IN FACT, IT NEVER STOPPED.

v.2000
First they came for the hackers.
But I never did anything illegal with my computer,
so I didn’t speak up.

Then they came for the pornographers.
But I thought there was too much smut on the Internet anyway,
so I didn’t speak up

Then they came for the anonymous remailers.
But a lot of nasty stuff gets sent from anon.penet.fi,
so I didn’t speak up.

Then they came for the encryption users.
But I could never figure out how to work PGP anyway,
so I didn’t speak up.

Then they came for me.

And by that time there was no one left to speak up.

– Alara Rogers http://www.alara.net

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Then They Came for Me (A New Twist)

By Stephen Rohde, a constitutional lawyer and President of the ACLU of Southern California. Adapted from the original by Rev. Martin Niemoller (1937).

First they came for the Muslims, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Muslim.

Then they came to detain immigrants indefinitely solely upon the certification of the Attorney General, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t an immigrant.

Then they came to eavesdrop on suspects consulting with their attorneys, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a suspect.

Then they came to prosecute non-citizens before secret military commissions, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a non-citizen.

Then they came to enter homes and offices for unannounced “sneak and peek” searches, and I didn’t speak up because I had nothing to hide.

Then they came to reinstate Cointelpro and resume the infiltration and surveillance of domestic religious and political groups, and I didn’t speak up because I had stopped participating in any groups.

Then they came for anyone who objected to government policy because it aided the terrorists and gave ammunition to America’s enemies, and I didn’t speak up because…… I didn’t speak up.

Then they came for me……. and by that time no one was left to speak up.

“Upon further reflection, I have decided that I am irked by this. First, some background on the original context. It is worth remembering that this was said by a fellow who barely escaped execution after Hitler had executed about ten million people in his death camps, including about six million Jews. When this pastor talks about “coming for the Jews”, he does not mean a few thousand here or a few hundred there – he means nearly a complete sweep of the Jewish population of Europe. To pretend that what we are seeing with the Bush Administration is somehow comparable to Hitler strikes me as deeply disrespectful to the memory of those who suffered real persecution.
Here is another example of how this poem can be trivialized. [original link refered to this web site from talkleft.com]”

– Tom Maguire on the Talkleft.com web site

Now “They” Are Coming For Us

Repeal the Patriot Act Now!

Trivalized, my eye! Don’t fall victim to the pseudo arguments of the ACLU. Such sentiment provided the very foundation from which the SS proceeded to perpetrate their horrendous crimes against their own people with impunity. The incremental escalation of denial of rights, liberty and the pursuit of happiness progressed from small carefully chosen, seemingly trivial ones, through apparently logical rational ones, all the way to genocide – one small step at a time. If you truly respect Freedom and the souls of the millions who sacrificed their lives, their fortunes and their sacred honor to purchase and
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[by Dawna Bowles (C)2014-15] all photography, poetry, and stories are (C) unless posted otherwise.