Issue Position: Marriage and Voter ID Amendments and Their Affects on Everyone

Issue Position

Neither of the proposed Amendments on the November ballot give us rights nor do they clarify them. Both limit our rights or remove our potential rights. The Constitution of the United States and the State of Minnesota, are supposed to be used to protect the few from the masses, not for the masses to overpower the few.

When hearing and thinking of these proposed amendments, it reminds me of the speech "First they came", written by Martin Niemoller, German pastor and theologian, during WWII.

First version:

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.

Second version:

First they 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 Catholics,

and I didn't speak up,

because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me,

and by that time there was no one

left to speak up for me.

The first version is the most popular version but there where many different versions used by Niemoller. The second version is less popular but again one he used on multiple occasions.

Like the two versions show us, at some point we will be the one's they are coming for. It may not be today or tomorrow but some day down the road. We need to think about what we are doing each and every time we put an amendment in place that takes anyone's rights away no matter if we agree with their beliefs or not. We need to start standing up for the members of society who are singled-out as one day, we could be the one's singled-out. We need to learn from history, not repeat it.

You can read different versions of Niemoller's speech by Googling "First they came".

I look forward to having an opportunity to talk with you and expand on my positions and qualifications to represent you in the state House of Representatives.

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