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

 

No man is an island. Until he decides to stand alone and refuses to accept the herd mentality of society. Some call it peer pressure. I call it weakness of character.

When you fail to make value judgements on your own, and you elect to follow the crowd, that is an absence of character in my opinion. I remember when president George H.W. Bush came forward and said that he did not like Broccoli.

An anecdotal comment of personal preference, but you would have thought that some earth shaking shift in American policy had been put forth.

What would the broccoli producers have to say about it. Would it cause a stir in the markets. More importantly? Did the leader of the free world, have the standing to categorically deny an entire food group.

Is it just me, or does anyone else see the dichotomy of today's mass opinions in today's America.

Make the right choices? Go along with the crowd? Go along to get along? And everything is perfectly as it should be. Fail to do so? And you must be ostracized and demonized and outright vilified if necessary, to bend your opinions and beliefs and your will to those of the crowd.

Pay no attention to those behind the curtains pulling the levers. They will tell you what your opinions should be and you had better agree with them and praise those opinions and belief sets. Or else there will be consequences and repercussions.

And the American people by and large are more than willing to accept these altered realities. Why? Because they do not want to be singled from the herd and vilified for not conforming to thought speak.

I don't like Starbucks. As a matter of fact? I cannot stand Starbucks. An over priced and yet acclaimed common swill of the herd.

$5 a cup?

That's alright. Because whether you truly care for their coffee? At least you will be seen holding a Starbucks cup. And regardless of whether you drink it or not, it's the thought that counts.

Happy Holidays?

As opposed to Merry Christmas? No big deal right.

Because we as a society want to be all inclusive. Unless and until it is our own individual likes or preferences being questioned. Then we are told very quickly, that we must conform to the populist view. Or else.

Well I personally am a wee bit tired of being told I have to conform.

I have the right to my own opinions and preferences, likes and dislikes. And those preferences, likes and dislikes are what make me an American. They were granted to me and guaranteed to me by the Bill of Rights. And I fully intend to enjoy them.

As for you? You have the right to have no rights if you choose. Just lay them down and walk away. Substitutions will be issued to you and you can then join the herd and meld into the masses and become safely obscure. Until the day they come for you.

Just remember this.

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

Then they came for the trade unionists, and I did not speak out— because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out—because I was not a Jew.

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

~Martin Niemöller ~