Will We Speak Out?

Perhaps you remember this quote, attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoller.  He was speaking about the lack of response to actions by Hitler in Germany, prior to World War II.  He reportedly said:

"First they came for the communists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.

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


I fear the powers in this country have taken a page out of Hitler's playbook.  Now, before you get all riled, hear me out--you are just as at risk as I am (it just might take them longer).  
I am condensing a lot of history here, but remember the time before unions came into existence?  There was basically a feudal system--men, women, and yes, children, worked for whoever had the power, wealth, and resources.  People worked 6 or 7 days a week in this 2-class system of  the wealthy and the not-wealthy. Working class people had very little reason to believe they could rise above their "station" in life.  They watched their children grow up to do exactly as they had done--if the children lived to adulthood, that is.  City life was just as bleak as rural life, and women had as many children as they were physically able to have--the rich needed all the workers they could possibly get, and there was just so much work to be done.  When one woman died giving birth, there were many others that could take her place.    
Fast forward now, past the rise of the labor union movement, the Great Depression, two World Wars--as you breeze past, you will see the rise of a middle class, increased literacy, a growing life expectancy, and a rise in the standard of living for most people.  Today, it is unheard of not to have indoor plumbing, electricity, and a weekend (of sorts).  Workers are allowed to take vacation, have holidays, and to see their children do better than they have (until recent history, but that's another story).  Together, the people were able to accomplish so much!  And, as an added bonus, corporations have access to a healthy, well-educated workforce.  However, those in power feel they don't have the control over "the masses" that they once did.  You feed them, educate them, and then they start getting all these ideas.  Women have joined the workforce in record numbers; it's no longer the "old boys network" that it once was, which makes some people in power very nervous.  No matter how much money they amass, it's still not enough--they need to have the power in this country; they keep looking over their shoulders, paranoid that "one of them" will come and take some of their precious power away.  And, in our crazy system, where money = power, those who have the power today worry that whatever money they have is not enough.  This is why people like the Koch Brothers, who are worth $20 BILLION, use a part of that wealth to stir up "the natives" about Health Care Reform--it's better to keep the "natives" broke and dependent on a system that puts more and more money in the coffers of the insurance industry and causes more and more bankruptcies among the unfortunate.  
The "divide and conquer" mentality is just as alive and well today as it's always been; Hitler was a genius in his application of it.  In recent history (since the 1950's) in this country, those in power have been honing their divisive skills, to the point that most people don't even realize they're doing it.  In the period just before the Civil Rights Movement, it was the African American who was evil, "stealing" all those jobs.  In the mid-1970's, we began to hear about those who were "born again".  Seizing a great opportunity for exploitation, the powers that be, via the Republican party, began pandering to the "Religious Right".  They found that by embracing the radical social agenda of the Right, they could create wedge issue after wedge issue--keep those people riled enough that they didn't notice deregulation of business, lowering of the corporate tax rate, and the rich getting phenomenally richer.  
Pushing the religion card, they convinced voters that the gays were bad, "liberals" were bad, public schools were evil, and taking care of the poor, the sick, and the needy was the responsibility of the poor, the sick, and the needy (let me just say I'm getting really sick of the term "personal responsibility" when it's applied, over and over, to the poor, but not to those in the banking industry).
But it's still not enough.  So here we are today--gays are still evil, women need to have babies--lots of them--accomplished by defunding reproductive health care.  
Ask yourselves:
When they came for the Muslims, did I speak up?
When they came for the labor unionists, did I speak up?
When they come for the gays, will I speak up?
When they come for the "illegal" immigrants, AND their US-born children, will I speak up?
When they come for women's reproductive health, especially for the poor, will I speak up?
When they come for my child's education, will I speak up?
When they come for my core beliefs, will I speak up?
WHEN will I speak up?
 

Warning: Rant Ahead

You have been warned.  Read ahead at your peril.
This rant has been brewing for weeks--months.
I remember clearly Election Night, 2008-I heard Barack Obama had been elected president.  After 8 long years, I suddenly had hope for this country.  Then I heard Prop 8 (you know, the one that kept "Separate and not Equal" a law in California) had passed.  My hope was a little diminished.  President Obama was sworn in not a moment too soon, as the economy got worse and worse, and Bush seemed unable (or cynically on my part, unwilling) to do anything about it.  But President Obama had plans--big plans!  He got right to work; did what he could to stimulate the economy, put people to work, pulled us back from the brink of a major Depression.  Spent money, but any real economist would tell you that was the right thing to do.
     The real powers-that-be in this country were not deterred by Obama's victory.  Oh no, they were, in January 2009, planning for the midterm elections of 2010.  First, they put their money to work--they already knew who to target in this country, who to get riled up--those folks who didn't like "change".  Of any kind.  The type of people who could be easily frightened.  They talked to these folks about the evils of Healthcare Reform--scared them with lies that sounded like truth.  Threw around words like "Socialist" and "Communist" for good measure.  Started "grassroots" organizations, led by regular guys like Dick Armey.  Thus the Tea Party movement was born, and the real powers sat back and smiled.  It was all going according to plan.
Things got ugly when Healthcare Reform was voted on--members of Congress were spat on, bricks were thrown through the windows of their offices in their home states.  The Tea Party was energized, and political civility was gone (you remember the "You Lie!" guy?  How shameful was that?).
The Faux News Network became a full-fledged Republican/Tea Party propaganda machine, and their commentators were thrilled by the money that was pouring in to their bank accounts (Glenn Beck made over $27 million in one year).  Never mind that their "news" wasn't always accurate or truthful.  They knew exactly how to scare their viewers, and they did it well.  The underlying message was liberal=bad=socialist=country going down the tubes.  And their viewers BELIEVED!
The real powers-that-be knew the next step would be to control as many state governments as possible.  With their followers frightened and riled up, getting candidates to run was no problem.  Getting money to flow into Republican races was no problem.  While their candidates ran on the "Jobs, jobs, no taxes, jobs" platform, behind the scenes the real powers were working with Republican candidates on the real platform for 2010.
Most voters slept through the 2010 elections, because, after all, the presidential election year is the important one right?
And Republicans swept into office--taking control as governor, and many, many state offices.  And the real powers were happy.  For they knew what was coming next.
Which brings me to my rant--why is my state, and many like it, turning into such a hate-filled, backward place?  Every time I think about what the governor and state legislature in the state of Indiana did in just 4 short months, I want to vomit.
I had such hope for my generation.
We were going to be the ones to take care of the poor, the sick.  We were going to raise our kids to be color-blind, non-sexist, with a healthy attitude about sex, and a respect for differences.  
Here we are as adults, and we are allowing people in power to:

• Prevent women from getting reproductive health care, especially if they're poor.
• Tell women they can't control their own bodies, like that would all of a sudden mean there would never be another abortion, ever.
• Kill labor unions.
• Allow the rich to keep getting richer, and the middle class to die a hideous death.
• Tell people who are LGB or T that they are, and will always be, 2nd class citizens.  That they don't deserve the same rights to happiness as the "normal" people.  
• Play endless political games while our country is failing fast.  The real powers that be seem to be happy with this, for it gives them time to achieve their goals.  
• AND, most of all, we are allowing our country to be controlled by a fundamentalist religious sect. 

Why are we not hopping mad?  Why are we not rioting in the streets?  In Indiana, our legislators have de-funded Planned Parenthood, effectively killed the labor union, and are now allowing vouchers for private (ie religious) schools, at the same time public schools are barely getting by.  And, in one more legislative session, we will have heterosexual marriage only in the state CONSTITUTION.  
It's all so fucking depressing.  I thought things were going to be different, would be better.  But the longer I'm adult, the more I realize how very little power I have.  Everything is decided for me.  And most of the decisions, right now, seem very evil and backward to me.
But here's the thing--I am in a dark hole, but there are thousands of little lights, all around me.  They are my family, my friends, my community, my job, my health--my life is good.  Everyday life goes on, and for the most part, I feel untouched by the real powers.  I know they're out there though, and I hope we all wake up, before it's too late.