The chronological erosion of our rights right now today in the US

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

First they came for the:

Drug Dealers.

I knew we were in trouble when as part of the so-called "War on Drugs" we suspended legal search and seizure if it involved drugs. It became sanctioned to just seize the property of accused people BEFORE they have been found guilty by a judge or jury. But hey, it's ok, who could be against the War on Drugs?

Then they came for the :

Terrorists

Under the Patriot Act. Now it is ok to just seize people because they might pose a threat. We can send them to Gauntanomo, we can deny them lawyers, we can sanction torture, or outsource torture, because , hey, they might be terrorists and we are at war, tight?


Next they will come for the:

take your pick:
sex offenders, pornographers, heretics, or maybe the UNPATRIOTIC (those of you who don't toe the party line.)

The lesson is simple - you either have rights that apply to all of the people all of the time, or you don't have rights at all.


A voice from the past

First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945