Who will speak out for you?

The quality of thought behind comments made on the Wisbech Discussion Forum hit a new low yesterday.

Three of the women Trump abused were born in the US and the fourth has lived there for over twenty years. All four are American citizens, holding US passports. Where could they go? US citizens do have freedom to visit many countries but they have no inalienable right to settle elsewhere.

Why should anyone leave just because the bully doesn’t want to defend his decisions? If your country, your town, your neighbourhood, your family, or your marriage has problems then walking away is hardly the mature and responsible action to take. Any environment, natural or political can always be improved if intelligent thought is applied. If you do choose to walk away, to let the bully do whatever he wants then it might be appropriate to remember the words of Martin Niemöller. He wrote these words when he was opposing the Nazis in the 1930s;

First they came for the Communists 

And I did not speak out 

Because I was not a Communist 

Then 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 out for me.     

Those filled with hatred for the poor and homeless of Wisbech, the people who want anyone living outside of conventional society, anyone they see as 'other' to be hounded out of town should also be concerned. They are making it known they don’t like how the town has developed. 

In the future they may be the people hounded out of town, told they have no right to speak about anything at all. If they don’t like it they should go, whoever they are, Fenlander or migrant. It doesn’t matter if they were born here, if they are complaining they must go.

Telling anyone to leave because they speak out against racism, or poverty or any other injustice is unreasonable. Just as unreasonable as telling a person who has lost all hope and is suffering at the bottom of the pyramid that they should just go somewhere else. They should go out of sight, go anywhere at all so that we don’t have to see them