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What Would He Say?
excerpts from an essay by Daithí Mac Lochlainn. September 9, 2005
“When they came into power, they disenfranchised a large number of American citizens, but I was neither black nor from Florida, so I said nothing.
Then, they read a children’s book about a pet goat as two jet liners crashed into the Twin Towers. However, I didn’t work there, nor did a loved one, nor was I a fireman or cop, or even from New York or New Jersey, so I swallowed the official explanation without question.
Then, they started detaining people without charges, but I was neither Arab nor Muslim, so I said nothing. Then, they invaded a sovereign nation in a war of aggression based on lies and deception, but I wasn’t Iraqi. I did nothing. Then, they tortured, humiliated and photographed detainees and passed the images around like baseball cards, but wasn’t an Abu Ghraib inmate. I did nothing.
Then they sodomized a teen-aged boy in sight of his distraught mother, but I wasn’t an Iraqi youth. I did nothing. Then, they cut off a small city’s water and power before bombing it to smithereens, but I didn't live in Fallujah. I did nothing. Then, they “extraordinarily detained” innocent people for deportation to Middle Eastern dictatorships for unspeakable torture, but I wasn’t a Canadian of Middle Eastern descent. I did nothing.
Then, they “counted” ballots behind closed doors, but I was neither from Ohio nor a Democrat. I did nothing. Then, they tried to plunder Social Security so that their Wall Street campaign contributors could go out on binge, but I didn’t fall into the effected age bracket. I did nothing. Then they trashed and slimed a Gold Star Mom, but I had no children in the military. I did nothing. Then, they nibbled on cake and plucked on a guitar, while neglectfully presiding over the destruction of a great American City and the cruel deaths of tens of thousands of its inhabitants, but I didn’t live in New Orléans. I did nothing…
…Then, they came for me…”
You have been reading excerpts from "Pastor Niemöller in the 21st Century" by Daithí Mac Lochlainn. Please read the entire piece here: tinyurl.com/7wx9m.
excerpts from an essay by Daithí Mac Lochlainn. September 9, 2005
“When they came into power, they disenfranchised a large number of American citizens, but I was neither black nor from Florida, so I said nothing.
Then, they read a children’s book about a pet goat as two jet liners crashed into the Twin Towers. However, I didn’t work there, nor did a loved one, nor was I a fireman or cop, or even from New York or New Jersey, so I swallowed the official explanation without question.
Then, they started detaining people without charges, but I was neither Arab nor Muslim, so I said nothing. Then, they invaded a sovereign nation in a war of aggression based on lies and deception, but I wasn’t Iraqi. I did nothing. Then, they tortured, humiliated and photographed detainees and passed the images around like baseball cards, but wasn’t an Abu Ghraib inmate. I did nothing.
Then they sodomized a teen-aged boy in sight of his distraught mother, but I wasn’t an Iraqi youth. I did nothing. Then, they cut off a small city’s water and power before bombing it to smithereens, but I didn't live in Fallujah. I did nothing. Then, they “extraordinarily detained” innocent people for deportation to Middle Eastern dictatorships for unspeakable torture, but I wasn’t a Canadian of Middle Eastern descent. I did nothing.
Then, they “counted” ballots behind closed doors, but I was neither from Ohio nor a Democrat. I did nothing. Then, they tried to plunder Social Security so that their Wall Street campaign contributors could go out on binge, but I didn’t fall into the effected age bracket. I did nothing. Then they trashed and slimed a Gold Star Mom, but I had no children in the military. I did nothing. Then, they nibbled on cake and plucked on a guitar, while neglectfully presiding over the destruction of a great American City and the cruel deaths of tens of thousands of its inhabitants, but I didn’t live in New Orléans. I did nothing…
…Then, they came for me…”
You have been reading excerpts from "Pastor Niemöller in the 21st Century" by Daithí Mac Lochlainn. Please read the entire piece here: tinyurl.com/7wx9m.
