WILL THEY COME FOR YOU?

"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 left to speak for me. Martin Niemoller

Please read it and then read it again. You've probably heard it before, but you need to keep hearing until you understand it! In light of the absurd actions of the current President and his entire Administration under the auspices of Elon Musk and his shadowy-at-best Department of Government Efficiency or DOGE, it takes on whole new meaning for our generation.

I now personally know 3 families that have been directly affected by Musk's indefensible and draconian policy of reducing the Federal budget deficit by the wholesale firing of tens of thousands of innocent, dedicated Federal employees. Many of these people are doing work that is more than just import, it's essential. I will not use their names to protect their privacy, but I will share their stories.

The first example comes from one of my longest friends. He always loved the outdoors and crafted a highly successful career out of it playing important roles in the Departments of Agriculture and the Interior for 3 Presidential Administrations. One of his daughters followed in his footsteps. She went to one of the best schools in the Country to earn a degree in the profession and did the field work necessary to get the right experience. Eventually she became a supervisor of Rangers at one of our National Parks. In other words, she is an outstanding young woman who dedicated her life to preserve our Nation's greatest natural treasures and the people who enjoy them. Her only "crime" was caring deeply about her job. She was released for NO good reason.

The second comes from one of my Fordham graduate students. It seems her mom has worked as a supervisor for the National Institute of Health (NIH) for 20 years. She headed a team of 40 researchers who worked to keep Americans safe. After her team was cut to just 6 people and she was condescendingly asked to provide 5 job tasks she completed in the previous week, she had finally had enough. She left to an uncertain future. Imagine having to start all over again after such spent a long time in a place that you loved and dedicated your life to.

The third example may be the most tragic of all. Another long-time friend has an adult son with special needs. His son's disability is severe enough to require the specialized care that group homes provide for the most vulnerable among us. Well, with the proposed cuts in the NIH and beyond, he will lose that care with few, if any, options available to him and his family.

Then the so-called architect of the whole sordid affair, Elon Musk, had the gall, the extremely bad taste of making a joke of the whole thing by brandishing a diamond encrusted chainsaw at the opening of CPAC. And the crowd ROARED. They have no souls.

And the number grows daily.

My take-away is this: this is not about NUMBERS. It's about HUMAN BEINGS! These people are OUR brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children, etc., etc., etc. Will you wait until they come for YOU?