On why WE should protest...

By Alara Rogers

First they came for the hackers.

But I never did anything illegal with my computer,
so I didn't speak up.

Then they came for the pornographers.

But I thought there was too much smut on the Internet anyway,
so I didn't speak up.

Then they came for the anonymous remailers.

But a lot of nasty stuff gets sent from anon.penet.fi,
so I didn't speak up.

Then they came for the encryption users.

But I could never figure out how to work PGP anyway,
so I didn't speak up.

Then they came for me.
And by that time there was no one left to speak up.

***
The Pastor Martin Niemöller original said:

In Germany they 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,
and I didn't speak up because I was a Protestant.

Then they came for me -
and by that time no one was left to speak up.