Tuesday, August 31, 2010

I remained silent:

When the Tea Party came for the progressives,I remained silent;
I was not a progressive.

When they locked up the muslims,I remained silent;
I was not a muslim.

When they came for the mexicans,I did not speak out;
I was not a mexican.

When they came for the working poor,I remained silent;
I wasn't poor.

When they came for me,there was no one left to speak out.


With deepest respect for Martin Niemöller.


9 comments:

  1. Well, the tea party movement is not the NAZI SS and Glenn Beck in not Hitler. Last time I checked Hitler gased and killed Jews and others, while the tea party is a bunch of people tired of government spending, government contol and lying politicians using their right to assembly and protest.

    HUGE DIFFERENCE... and Glenn Beck don't control a government or an army.

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  2. Ahhh Yes I am sure that 1932 when Hitler was a clerk in a government office and a hanger on of some buttlick political party called the National Socialists Germany during the Beer Hall Putsch there was many a fine man said Hitler don't control an army and the National Socialist Party simply wants a government that lets people be.

    Read some history there which after all does tend to repeat itself, Mr. Rising because the similarities are frightening enough to cause even an highbrow television watcher to have pause and cause for concern.

    No we haven't seen gangs of armed thugs burning down Arab owned business' yet but it always starts with a vociferous protest and willful ignorance of them who silently agree that "they" deserve it. I'd tell yoou to ask the 11,000,000 Jews, Gypsy's, Homosexuals and Mentally deficient but they just got exterminated during that particular "tea bag movement."

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  3. "Well, the tea party movement is not the NAZI SS and Glenn Beck in not Hitler."

    Well, the similarities are striking, you see. And this is what Punch is referring to.

    NOT SUCH A HUGH DIFFERENCE.

    Veracity takes a hike, and any damned thing either of them (Adolph/Glenn) had/has to say is taken as the gospel by those who want to believe in boogieman. Unfortunately, they don't have a clue as to the real boogieman, who are leading them by the nose.

    It's about the big lie. The road to power is via the big lie. Doesn't matter that Beck has not taken the reins of government, the possibility exists, and I happen to believe that's where he's headed. And puleeeeeeeze, do not tell me you think he is accurate and truthful...even he, acknowledges that isn't true. To wit: ''I say on the air all time, if you take what I say as gospel, you're an idiot.''
    —Glenn Beck, New York Times, March 29, 2009

    Seriously, what the fuck. He calls his followers...IDIOTS.

    As to your innocent teabaggers, simply exercising their rights to redress the government, and they are tired of it all...how about this: I listened to one of them at that so-called "honor" rally (aka, buy my new book), rant on about how Obama caused 9 month pregnant women to abort, making that into a law in Illinois and that he is the fucking devil incarnate, a Muslim, a socialist (obviously having not a clue as to what a Socialist is...believe me) and is taking away this dumb shit's freedoms (what freedoms, shithead?)(I've yet to hear exactly what freedoms have been taken away). Redress? No friend this is about something else that we all know the name of.

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  4. I am less frightened of Beck than I am of his followers. I meet these people and they seem brainwashed. They also seem to be channelling their rage against the government--as though the government is Darth Vader.

    I hear stuff that just is nuts. I actually liked the Tea Partiers for a while because they hated the bailout as much as I did, and felt that we were being taxed without representation--technically true as all of my representatives ignored common opinion and voted for the damn thing. But then it woke me up from the deep sleep that said that elected officials really represent my best interests.

    I'm not pleased with Obama's presidency, but the attacks on his character and his religion are about as bad as the ones Jefferson got when he said that everyone's religion is their own business. People hate the government, but then they want the government to be Santa Claus. It doesn't work that way.

    I was invited to the rally, and I declined. I didn't know anything about Glenn Beck--really--I guess I live in a cave, but I know plenty about Sarah Palin. It appears she stuck her star onto Glenn as he is huge in the media. That is damned depressing as she is an idiot. She probably doesn't even know what the Boston Tea Party was about.

    There is a real sickness in America. I had hoped that Bush was the cause, but he only enabled it. It's time we take responsibility for ourselves, and stop ignorance before it takes over.

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  5. Know I'm late to this party... but a beautiful post Punch. Reminds me of MLK's statement about the real danger being good people who remain silent.

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  6. Phoenix Rising – Thank you for commenting on this blog. You seem to bring, what I would hope is, the loyal opposition to my point of view. Yes, you are correct about people being gassed and killed, but it was not Hitler that did the killing. He merely encouraged the activity; it was the German people that did the deed. I, too, am tired of government spending, government control and lying politicians, yet that does not make me want to join a group of folks that feel the need to disenfranchise anyone they don’t like.
    Notice how many times Glenn Beck says he don’t want to…be president, lead an army, have you believe him, etc. Shakespeare would have written “The Queen doth protest to much, methinks.”

    The walking man – You state my case so clearly. There is little I can add other than it is important to read history; those who do not know it are most likely to repeat it. Joe McCarthy and the House Un-American Activities Committee come immediately to my mind.

    EofR – Spot on. There is a play written in the 60’s named Marat/Sade, it was premised upon the inmates of the Asylum of Charenton acting out the assassination of John-Paul Marat, being directed by the Marquis de Sade. When I saw the gathering on the Mall, I recalled this play.
    You are correct in having a flirtation with the T Party, that is what is so seductive about them, they take just enough of what every one knows is wrong with the system, lures one along, then jumps out of the way, as the heard (sic) rush over the edge of the cliff, and voila, we are smack in the middle of a sadistic government run by the asylum inmates.
    Geo Carlin, a man I’m beginning to think was one of the great political minds of my time, encouraged us all to not vote. He said you’ll vote for some guy and he’ll go do some damn thing and you won’t be able to bitch about it ‘cause you voted him in. I find myself in that place. I would vote for Obama again. We are literally damned if we do and damned if we don’t.
    My daughter likes Sarah. I told her back when Sarah was trying to be a governor and a vice presidential candidate, that she (my daughter) would do a better job in either of those roles. My daughter stopped and looked at me, closely and said, you mean that! It was a nice moment between a father and a daughter when the child realized how much their parent respects them. (I still would not vote for Sarah even if she was married to Abraham.)
    You are correct about the sickness. Pray for a healing.

    Mr. Charleston – The party is just getting started. Lots to drink, but if you wanna drink Tea do it before you show up.
    Dr. King was correct; the insult of irony is using his concepts to inspire these types of politicos.
    I get the feeling that Beck wants to be shot. It flows from the messianic complex.

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  7. JadedJ- Sorry Ol’ chap did not mean to skip your insight.
    Veracity hiking is an excellent way to describe this man.
    He is so very clever at pointing toward windmills and saying we must stop them, they will take over. They move without any form of power. Be afraid, very afraid, of the creaking in the night. They are coming for you.
    Your reference to his reference to gospel – He seems to be playing with words, He might be saying believe me ‘cause I’m saying this is not gospel ‘cause this is not the Gospel. Which he can say ‘cause he knows this is gospel, ‘cause he’s not quoting the Gospel. (an intricate thought process he might not be capable of performing. Never mind)

    Yes he does call his follower Idiots, but they don’t get it. That is the beauty of the world according to Glenn, call them idiots enough times, and they will become smart, and believe what he says, which is not the Gospel.

    It is interesting that this guy Obama, in the mind of this guy Beck, is perhaps the single most powerful man to ever walk the face of this earth and Beck is the ONLY one that can see it. We are blessed by HIS very presence in the US at this moment in time.

    Nothin’ wrong, but; Some en’ ain’t right.

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  8. great to see all this healthy dialogue ! wow! and mature give and take.
    beck is dangerous because of who and what he gives permission to.... he is the one who cannot be " blamed ".

    it is important to keep atrocities in perspective, and it is equally important to stay vigilant.

    it seems to me that you are able to do both.

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  9. I guess you didn't notice from the outline under his shirt that Beck was wearing a bullet proof vest under his shirt during his little stunt? If he wants to be shot I suggest to the shooter to make it a head shot.

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email punchnojudy@gmail.com, love being alive, the alterntiative has lousy hours, liberal and don't care if you give me cracked corn.