Repeating Our Mistakes

"First they came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist.

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

Then they came for the sick, the so-called incurables, and I didn't speak up, because I wasn't mentally ill.

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 "

"Martin Niemoller 1892-1984"

Orange Jumpsuits, bound and tortured, deprived of sleep, intensively questioned and we choose to use the "information" gathered in this manner to mount our defense against the "terrorists".

Those people subjected to that are telling the soldiers exactly what they think they want to hear in order to end their punishment and this they call "valuable intelligence".

We have a new underclass, a new group to persecute and blame for the ills of this world, the muslim terrorists, we can degrade them and poke fun at them and blame them for all the things that are wrong in our world.

I seem to recall a certain group of people who had the same treatment during the second world war, it was politcally convienient and entirely justifiable (in his own mind) for Herr Hitler to persecute and hound those that follow the Jewish faith, they had the sucess and fortune he so clearly desired, its always easier to justify your actions if you have someone to blame for all the troubles you face.

We should take care to learn from our history or we are doomed to repeat our past mistakes, difference and variety are not a bad thing but we all have to remeber when it comes down to it we are all Human, lets not forget our humanity in order to beat our "imagined" foe.

"I am a Jew. Hath not a Jew eyes? hath not a Jew hands, organs, dimensions, senses, affections, passions? fed with the same food, hurt with the same weapons, subject to the same diseases, healed by the same means, warmed and cooled by the same winter and summer, as a Christian is? If you prick us, do we not bleed? if you tickle us, do we not laugh? if you poison us, do we not die? and if you wrong us, shall we not revenge? If we are like you in the rest, we will resemble you in that."

Shylock - Merchant Of Venice (Shakespear)