Ball Of Confusion

First they came for the communists, and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist;

Then 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 out for me.

I’m always one to engage in good debate. I can argue any side and sound like I know what I’m talking about. It’s something I’ve been doing for as long as I can remember. I’ve been accused of picking a side just to start an argument and it’s probably a valid criticism. I really don’t care so much about the end result, I just find that something usually comes out in these verbal tussles that interests me and I’ll go home and start to read about it. I can’t think of a time when I was truly stumped and was incapable of coming up with a valid response to something someone has said during these debates. Well, that is, until last night.

I was at a friends’ house with a number of others and the conversation turned to the Mosque being built near where the 9/11 attacks took place. Like I said, I enjoy a good argument so I thought we could really have some fun here. One of the guys there, someone I’ve known and has been a friend for almost 40 years, joined in and said he felt that all Muslims should be thrown out of the country. I was aghast. I wanted to make sure I heard him correctly and asked him a question that would help me clarify what I had just heard. Again, he stated that every Muslim in the country should be kicked out.

I was in shock. Here was someone I’ve known since I was a little kid saying things that I thought only those bigots you see on those documentaries said. I asked, if this was allowed what would stop a movement to kick all Jewish people out of the country and his response was that it would never happen. When I asked why he said that Muslims were different. Here’s the thing that really threw me: He was as serious as serious could be. I tried to explain that I thought it was a real dangerous and slippery slope to be on when we start picking which group or religion to legislate for or against but it was quite apparent that it was a useless argument from that point on.

I sit in confusion about the things I heard last night. I’m not sure how I’ll react when I see him again. I mean, we didn’t fight or argue the rest of the night away but I know it’ll be odd. I guess I’m naive in thinking that the people I grew up with would at least have their thoughts to be somewhat near mine. I don’t expect everyone to have my political beliefs but to me, this thinking is so archaic that it defies logic. I think I’m feeling a little hurt by my friends’ thoughts. I can’t see a common ground to meet him on in this yet I don’t see myself eliminating him from my life. It’s a little confusing.