Dear Editor,
Various renditions of this poem have been written over decades going as far back as WWII and some even earlier.
I felt that this one suits the situation happening in America. Does everyone really know what the government is doing and what rewards or losses we will suffer.
“First they came for the liberals. And I did nothing because I wasn’t a liberal.
“Then they came for the conservatives. And I did nothing because I wasn’t a conservative.
“Then they came for the media. And, I did nothing because I wasn’t in the media.
“They they came for anyone that voted for Republicans. And, I did nothing as I wasn’t a Republican.
“Then they came for the Democrats. And, I did nothing as I wasn’t a Democrat.
“Then they came for free speech. And, I did nothing as I don’t talk with very many people.
“Then they came for my neighbor. And, I did nothing as I didn’t really know my neighbor.
“They they came for me. But, there was no one left to speak up for me.”
Apathy as well as ignoring what is happening in America may lead us down the road submitting to a government that doesn’t work for the people.
With the president signing over 50 Executive Orders and bypassing the various branches of our Democracy, where might this suggest our society is going?
There are a lot of people, including Christians, that sit quietly in homes and make no effort to let our representatives know that their choices are not the true will of the people.
God is surely in control. But, we must remember that Christians (defined Christ-like) have a responsibility to be His hands and feet on Earth.
When this country was under the rule of England, the citizens spoke up against various unfair and unlawful dictates from England.
We can still be kind and disagree and make it known to “the powers that be.” If we stand idly by and do nothing, in essence, we are agreeing with things that are being done and laws that are written that do not line up with our beliefs.
Silence is not golden, but it is a risk. I don’t believe in condemning someone for the way they voted or for their political views.
We are supposed to have free speech. But, is that free speech being censored in some areas of our society? I believe it is.
Do the research. We have a responsibility to stand up for the rights of all Americans.
Violence is not an option. That means violent speech against anyone that voted Republican goes against that freedom.
So many of our leaders are now verbally assaulting the 74,000,000 that voted for Republicans. Isn’t name calling and labeling rather childish and surely wrong?
I’ve heard people in federal government calling these people so many ugly names. With everyone having so much time on their hands because of the dictates of the government regarding the “virus”, it seems that all of us should be writing our representatives in local, state and federal arenas.
Silence and apathy can be deadly. What do we stand for?
Sincerely,
Gwen Vess-Whitmore
Cherokee Trail, Covington
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