It Will Never Happen Here

Until it does

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

People hate bad news.  People hate any situation where they feel they are going to have to “do” something or stand up for themselves.  People want to hear only good news.  It seems that the “tickling ears” spoken of in the New Testament of The Holy Bible has become reality.  People want to “move on” from things without having learned any lessons or skills from the very thing they want to “move on” from.  When tested again, well, they do the same thing.   Not everyone… but most people. 

My life experience has had me in numerous situations where I had to see reality and do something about it.  Much to the chagrin of friends, and even some family members, I would be out preaching the gospel of common sense and reality.   Most of my readers know I was a miner for 30 years.   I got my start in mining at a small mine in an undisclosed location.  A few years into my career, environmental groups, special interest groups, the media, the government, and many locals pushed to shut down this mine.  A mine that provided great jobs and helped support several small communities.

I became an activist and traveled around the state giving speeches and warning people of what was coming.  Warning people that this was just the beginning.  That once they shut that industry down, their farming and ranching was next. That this would snowball into our ability to earn a decent living in any “unapproved” way being banned.

The common comment: “That will never happen here.”

So, the mine was forced to shut down.  Not enough people stood up for it.  Not enough people cared.  Even the people that worked there with me didn’t speak out!  I was one of a handful of voices.

Not long after that, a huge environmental group came in and convinced ranchers who had been in business for generations to sell their property.  Hundreds of thousands of acres of land were bought up and shut off from anything and anyone for who knows how long.  The ranchers and farmers packed up and moved to places like Las Vegas and Tucson AZ.  

I went to work for a small radio station as a DJ and salesperson.  I traveled around the area selling advertising for a short stint while I desperately searched for another job in the mining industry.  The same business owners I spoke with who said, “that will never happen here” changed their mantra to, “the town was here long before the mine and the big farms and ranches, and it will be here long after” and “by the way, ahem, we can’t afford to advertise anymore”.

Fast forward more than 30 years:

The town is still there.  Everyone except for people working for government and banks are broke.  Half the businesses are gone.  The population has been cut in half.  Yet, when I speak to people back home and we discuss what is going on in the world I still hear, “That will never happen here.”  Seriously?

I live in a similar town now.   Every time I bring up the destruction of farming, ranching, mining, or power generation I hear the same old, “that will never happen here” even while it is happening.  Even while the wind farm permits are being secured.  Even while vast swaths of land are being seized for “carbon capture” (a HUGE scam).  It is baffling to me.   They (s)elected a leftist mayor who lauds the benefits of skyrocketing property taxes while kicking people on fixed incomes out of their homes.  There’s no rainbow flags yet, but the DEI agenda is being taught in our schools.   The police state hasn’t moved in to a great extent, but they made way for a sheriff *and* chief of police in a tiny town of less than 1000 people.   There are many other warning signs as well.  But, nothing to worry about. “That won’t ever happen here.” (In other words, “I don’t care, I’m not going to do anything about it.”)

You see, the way we have lost our liberty over my lifetime has been because of people’s unwillingness to see the truth.  Their unwillingness to face these issues and say, “Yes, that is going on, there’s a possibility it’s coming here, and I’m not going to stand for it *in my life*.”   As a people we’ve been ignoring things and focusing on little “good things” that happen.  Pointing to the way others are handling the exact same issue and breathing a sigh of relief thinking we won’t have to worry.  And then our froggy legs are dipped further into the not yet boiling pot.  Just because there was victory somewhere else, doesn’t mean that exact same thing isn’t on the agenda for us as well.  Those people didn’t stop anything.  They just stopped it temporarily for them while the monsters try their tactics somewhere else in hopes of getting their agenda to stick, and then normalizing it so we don’t even realize we have been enslaved. 

Right now, climate alarmists are still calling for shutting down home gardens for “climate change” (The solution: Grow one and *never* “register” it).  Right now, there are people actively working to stop over the counter supplements (The answer: Buy more supplments!). Right now there are monsters demanding that ranchers RFID chip every one of their cattle so someone with a clipboard, pen, and shiny badge can decide whether they have too many cows on their property. (The solution: Ranchers come together and saying HELL NO, which, thankfully, they are… for now)  Right now, more and more mRNA “vaccines” are being developed. (The pushback: Say NO to any of them).  Right now, unconstitutional agencies are refusing to help people affected by disaster who watched their loved ones get whisked away by rushing waters and their homes and towns completely destroyed. (The answer: Help people anyway, which many are doing and telling FEMA to get out) Right now BOTH “Republicans” and “Democrats” are saying free speech needs to end (The solution: MORE speech. Talk more. Write more. Say more. Post more!).   Right now teachers are convincing little children they need to be a different “gender”. (One answer: Get your kids out of the public schools. There’s options for everyone, even single parents).  Right now… 

But, predictibly most Americans stand by and say, “Oh, look at the way so and so stood up.  Look at the way they pushed back in that country!  Look at, well, look at what everyone else is doing!”  We’re saved!

We have become so lazy and comfortable, expecting others to fight our battles for us.  Unwilling to do *anything* to push back against anything.  Just because we see someone else was successful at pushing back against something, it doesn’t mean that that “thing” isn’t still coming for us.

I used the Niemoller quote above not because I think we should be speaking out about “the Jews” (but if that’s your thing, go for it) but because we should replace any of those words with the things going on around us.  They came for the gardeners, they came for the home-schoolers, they came for the ranchers, they came for people who keep chickens, they came for… well, you get the point. 

Ultimately, here’s where I am:  If you choose not to do anything.  If you choose to stand by and watch.  If you choose to stay silent.  If you keep asking “what can I do”? (when most solutions are within our grasp… we just have to find those solutions and implement them in our lives).  If the only thing you have ever done is voted for someone to (unsuccessfully) handle all your problems every 2 or 4 years.  If all you do is cover your fear by pretending like nothing is going on.  If you complain about the things going on in our world and haven’t done one thing to try and stop it either in your own life or the lives of those in your family or your community.  Then you have no right to complain.   I don’t feel sorry for you when those things that are “never going to happen here” happen here. 

We don’t have to become violent.  We don’t have to focus on trying to fix large issues like wars and things that are completely out of our control.  We don’t have to be involved in “everything”.  But, for the love of liberty, can’t some of us take just a minute to say something once in a while?  Can’t we all *refuse* to follow the herd off the cliff?  Can’t we all push back against the issues that are facing us personally?  (In most cases this just means ignoring and refusing evil dictates and mandates that are not based on natural or common law).

Will “it” happen here?  Yes.   If we let it!