And When They Came For Me…

Once again, a “what he said” reference to Eric Muller at IsThatLegal.org for Is That Legal?: I Propose The Government Maintain a List of Everyone Who Eats Baba Ghanouj

Massachusetts governor (and 2008 Republican presidential candidate) Mitt Romney seeks the wiretapping of mosques.

Naturally, the Boston Globe article reporting on this charming proposal casts those alarmed by the proposal as “civil libertarians” and “immigrants’ rights advocates.”

Have we really reached the point where it’s just “civil libertarians” who get nervous when powerful politicians propose the suspicionless wiretapping of houses of worship?

Remember this?

In Germany, the Nazis first came for the Communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Communist.

Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.

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 Catholics, but I didn’t speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me…By that time there was no one to speak up for anyone.

–Reverend Martin Niemoller

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6 Responses to And When They Came For Me…

  1. Brautigan says:

    Do they not teach Civics in the schools anymore? Seriously, I don’t think 1 in 10 Americans has any conception of the requirements of a liberal democracy.

  2. Aidan Maconachy says:

    The reference to Niemoller is really pathetic. You know this type of comparison that attempts to juxtapose the Bush administration with nazi Germany is so low, it is beneath contempt.

    Michael, much as I appreciate your efforts as a contributor to the world of internet opinion, you are severely unbalanced in some of your calls – and this sure heck is one of them.

    You lose credibility points on this.

  3. valannin says:

    #1 The United States is not now, nor has ever been a “liberal democracy.” It was founded as, and continues to run as a Federated Republic.

    #2 Wiretapping the places where religious fanatics gather to kill Americans violates nothing. Religion is a smokescreen for violence and brainwashing. Instead of merely wiretapping them, the US Government should be airstriking them…

    http://pantheonoutcast.blogspot.com/

  4. Jason says:

    And how many people gather in mosques in the U.S.? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Hundreds of thousands? Millions, maybe? Last I heard, citizens of the Republic possessed certain rights against unreasonable search and seizure, we’ve had what, two major terrorist attacks on our soil from those Fundie wackjobs, totalling 25-30 guys, and now you want to drop bombs on mosques in the U.S.

    The idea of us eliminating over a million people in the United States, many of whom are citizens of this Republic, for the actions of such a small minority, is NOT acceptable.

  5. michael says:

    The courts have held that it is legal for the police to record public meetings, even in churches. On the other hand, wiretapping, even not in churches, requires a court order ; the theory, such as it is, turns on the courts’ ideas of reasonable ideas of privacy.

    The issue is thus not primarily a legal one, but a moral and civic one.

  6. Zonker says:

    “You know this type of comparison that attempts to juxtapose the Bush administration with nazi Germany is so low, it is beneath contempt.”

    Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney is part of the Bush administration? Who knew?

    The quote is apt, by the way — if Romney were proposing to wiretap, say, Baptist churches, there’d be widespread outrage. Because he’s talking about Mosques, only a few people speak up — everyone that values their freedom of (or from) religion should be getting angry about this.

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