I did not speak...
"First they came for the Communists ;
I did not speak because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews ;
I did not speak because I was not a Jew.
Then they came to fetch the workers, members of trade unions ;
I did not speak because I was not a trade unionist.
Afterwards, they came for the Catholics ;
I did not say anything because I was a Protestant.
Eventually they came for me,
and there was no one left to speak ..."
Martin Niemöller,Pastor
Dachau, 1942.
I first read these words as a school girl. It was in relation to the apathy that lead to millions of people being killed for no other reason than their beliefs.
It could never happen now.
Only it does. Every day. On a small scale. On a grand scale. Apathy is killing thousands every day. It is fuelling injustice. Not just in places far flung where education is poor and wealth to you is the ability to wake up everyday having made it through the previous day alive. It is happening here - in your living rooms, while you look for escapism in your tv sets, selling you sofas and designer clothes.
Who cares about social injustice when DFS are having a sale.
I've been accused of being preachy. Hell no one wants to face up to the fact that actually - some parts of life are pretty fucking shit.
But my question to you, dear reader, is this - is knowing you sat by idly doing nothing making you feel good.
Or does somewhere in your Soap Opera addled brain cringe when it hears of something that should be spoken out about?
Do you feel a nagging guilt when you ignore the atrocities of war and speak of new shoes and who snogged who at so and so's party?
When you flick past the news that an innocent person was racially abused and beaten by the very people put in place to protect them so that you can read what Mary had for her dinner last night on Come Dine With Me do you think - bah more depressing shit - it won't happen to me so what do I care?
Don't get me wrong. I don't think for a second any one should give up the right to be shallow. It's needed in order to cope with the bigger issues.
But being shallow is a luxury. And it's a luxury that people are denied EVERY day. If you have the luxury of an easy life - perhaps taking some time out to use your voice to try and change the views of the people, the laws of the land and the poverty that is surrounding all of us will make your luxuries seem all the sweeter?
You may prefer to be blinkered and ignore what is going on. But I don't think for a second you are comfortable with it.
You may say - I am only one voice. But one voice speaks out and others follow. It happens in the negative way all the time. So why not change it to a positive. If you feel strongly about something - SPEAK.
If you think that there is a way to help solve a problem - TRY IT.
If you think that you may face a battle - FIGHT
Many people did so that we could have our luxuries. Don't we owe it to ourselves and others to follow suit.
