“Then they came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
This is the last stanza of a popular poem written from the prose of Martin Neimoller in 1946. In 1937, he was incarcerated in Sachsenhausen and later in Dachau concentration camps.
Articles in The Chronicle and recent political events brought the principles ensconced in Neimoller’s famous writing to mind.
In no way are we in the dire circumstances experienced by Pastor Niemoller. Rather, our political power as decreed in Article 1, Section 1 of the Washington Constitution has been effectively whittled away with little more than a whimper.
Our Sen. John Braun and several others are the exception.
First, they came for our children’s education; we said very little and acquiesced to the needs of education unions.
Then they came for our children, usurping our rights as parents; we fought back with an initiative but legislative moves against us negated gains made.
Very few spoke out in support of parent’s rights.
Then they came for our entrepreneurs, those who create wealth and jobs. The misguided capital gains tax is convincing successful people to abandon Washington state, taking businesses and jobs with them.
Then they came for the people’s political power; they gerrymandered our voting districts and fudged the census and allowed a politically-appointed commission to remove our elected sheriffs.
Recent political rumblings suggest we do likewise for our school superintendents.
Then they came for millionaires with income tax legislation promising free amenities for those of us with modest incomes. Most support this added taxation and the purported benefits to follow, but who speaks out for those who oppose?
And then those income taxes came for me. All my political power was grabbed by politicians, and there was no one left to speak out for me.
Someone must pay for universal healthcare, universal childcare and free education when “millionaires” leave and take their tax money, businesses and jobs with them.
Think twice before voting for legislators who support the very causes that will be the downfall of us all before there is no one left to speak out for we the people.
Gregory Riplinger
Centralia
