First They Came…
First they came for the communists,
I did not speak out
because I was not a communist.When they came for the social democrats,
I did not speak out
because I was not a social democrat.When they came for the trade unionists
I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.When they came for the Jews
I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew;And when they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.Pastor Martin Niemöller (translated from the German)
This poem is the kind of eye-opening, social consciousness inspiring sentiment that I probably first read on a poster in high school. At the time I found it quite moving, but now it bothers me. In retrospect it’s easy to look back at Hitler’s policies and see how each small Nazi atrocity led to the next. But what about the present? This poem often comes to mind when I’m reading the news, because it’s not so obvious to determine which developments now will add up to some great injustice later.
The poem supposes that it’s easy to see the slippery slope, and that all you need is simple vigilance to fight it. But for most people, vigilance (especially in modern American politics) is tiring to the point of sisyphean. How many times on Boingboing has an alert gone out about the broadcast flag getting slipped into another bill? What are the long term implications for two Bush appointments to the Supreme Court? What will be the final effect of the Christian Right on American politics and culture? What are the real risks of the FBI diverting resources from national security to fight a “war on pornography”? What is the long term effect on civil rights and privacy of a permanent “Patriot” Act?
Every day it seems there’s a new injustice, and every day I let many pass while trying do something about one or two. Usually all I have the energy for is a link. A simple link to point to an injustice and vote no. Less frequently I’ll write a letter to a senator about something I feel distinctly passionate about, and post their idiotic form letter response to my blog. But so often I do nothing, and I think that’s alright, because I believe bad ideas, bad laws, even bad presidents (thank god for the 22nd amendment) are corrected over time. Is it worth my time and effort to fight the president at every step or can I hedge my bets that the current administration will hang themselves by their own rope (exhibit: Karl Rove).
I find some solace in this quote, whose source is unknown, “no one ever said democracy is the most efficient form of government.” It suggests to me that not every disappointment necessarily means we’re going to hell in a handbasket. I guess that’s always been the hardest lesson of adulthood to accept, that life is less like an ascent to some platonic ideal and more like a constantly equilibrating pendulum. However comforting that knowledge, it doesn’t ease the apparent cost of that inefficiency, in terms of both capital and most importantly, human life.
Wonderful post.
Concentrate on the little battles. Not the whole war against injustice.
(That was the best advice ever given to me. It can keep you sane.)