Criticism applied selectively

In response to Alexandra Ockey (Letters, April 25), I do not recall the name of the fellow who fell victim to the Nazis of Germany during World War II, but while in one of their prisons he penned this poem about not speaking up when the Nazis came for the Jews, Communists, trade unionists, etc. Because, of course, he was not a Jew, Communist, etc. “But when the Nazis came for me, there was no one left to speak for me.”

Let’s remind Ms. Ockey that no tea parties occurred when former President Bush was randomly wiretapping Americans for suspected calls to al-Qaida. No one protested news reports that revealed Muslims seeking asylum in Canada when the Bush administration sought to interrogate them as suspected terrorists. Apparently, Muslims being profiled and kicked off their airline flights can be met with indifference.

While Ms. Ockey expresses her outrage of big government, taxes and debt at a tea party, although admirable concerns to be sure, she was curiously silent about them during the Bush years. But would such venues only attract “concerned citizens” or could extremists (equals terrorists?) take advantage of them as well? That poem still has relevance for today.

Joan E. Harman

Dalton Gardens, Idaho