“Then they came for me”

Conservative MP Mark Warawa is a "rogue member" and has to suffer the consequences of holding views contrary to his caucus, one of his caucus colleagues said Wednesday morning after Warawa complained he wasn't allowed to talk about abortion in the House of Commons.

We can – and should – defend Warawa’s right to speak in the House of Commons on behalf of his constituents.  It is not the content of his statements we need to defend, but his right to present them.

For many of us, we may feel like spitting out the foul taste as we do this, but failing to defend him on this point hardly helps us when we fight for the rights of scientists, public servants, whistleblowers, activists, and others to speak out.

That very thing, that very point - that even the rights of those we disagree with must be defended is what too many on the far right fail to grasp. Equal rights for all, no matter what our personal views are.

I hope (but seriously doubt this will happen) that Warawa, Benoit, and the other CPC MPs who are so upset by this latest in harper muzzling will learn from this and stand up in public, stand up in the House, and demand with as much passion and sense of right that harper stop muzzling and intimidating Canadians who have the courage to disagree with their elected government.

Because guys, that’s how it starts –

"In Germany they came first 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."

-- Martin Niemöller, prominent German anti-Nazi theologian

****Go here to Doc Dawg for an excellent ass-kicking on why we need to do the right thing.