The Farmer’s Field: It’s Time to Speak Up
“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 one left to speak for me,” said Pastor Martin Niemoller, a prominent Lutheran pastor in Germany.
Niemoller would eventually find himself in a Nazi concentration camp for eight years for being an outspoken critic of Nazi church policy.
On my latest trip to Washington, D.C., I was finally able to find the time to visit the Holocaust Museum. It was powerful and impactful in ways I cannot describe.
It was during this visit Niemoller’s quote struck me with such force I cannot forget it.
Readers may have noticed in the past two years of me writing this column, I tend to stray from politics as much as possible. In fact, politics have taken such a turn in our country I find the divisiveness, deception and hypocrisy they have created to be quite repulsive and shameful.
Politics, in large part, seek only to divide us, and both parties are guilty.
Extremists from both sides of the aisle seek nothing less than total destruction of the other side.
They do not allow debate, discussion or respectful conversations. They do not wish to seek the truth, recognize the truth or base their opinions on the truth. They do not care to listen or to engage in thoughtful discussion.
They talk of tolerance but do not tolerate anyone who disagrees with them. They speak of equality, but only if it benefits them the most. They speak of love but hate all that is good.
They function only in their own delusional world of absolutes, and they anxiously await the opportunity to destroy anyone whose opinions are not exactly like their own.
This constant, deepening dissention, largely provoked by such extremists, is no way to solve real-world problems, and it’s not helping to make us a better nation. It serves only the interests of a few, while the large majority, just like Niemoller described, stand on the sidelines in silence.
But once in a great while, a figure emerges from the ashes of our self-imposed destruction and speaks with such clarity, strength, knowledge, passion and understanding, we pause for just a moment to remember who we really are.
They cause us to reflect on what is good, what is right and what is true. They help us to reflect on our own humanity and cause us to understand the path to progress does not lie in the fringes, but rather in the ability to respectfully listen to opinions outside of our own and to engage those with differing opinions in a manner which creates greater levels of understanding, even when we disagree.
What causes these leaders – who are most always outside of the political realm – to gain such a large and faithful group of supporters?
It’s their depth of knowledge, conviction to Biblical truths and their unapologetic commitment to their faith. It’s their boldness in the face of fear and dissention.
The word “truth” appears in the Bible about 380 times. It seems to me any word mentioned this many times must carry some heavy weight on its level of importance.
One of the best parts of our great country is the freedom to conduct debates centered around subjects we find to be of greatest importance and the opportunities these debates create for us to learn and express ourselves through thoughtful dialogue.
But the fringes can’t stand this. A debate with them can only be considered an argument or a yelling match, usually laced with profanity. Their positions are not based in truth, nor can they be realistically defended, so the embodiment of the extreme right and the extreme left is this – when they are challenged on their position about anything, in any way, their first response is to eliminate those who stand in their way.
Today, the powerful words from Niemoller take on an even deeper meaning. The horrific and senseless assassination of Charlie Kirk is a travesty beyond my level of comprehension. It is an inept attempt to silence us all. But no more.
I believe Charlie’s legacy will become an even stronger force for good if those of us who have been silent for so long will now finally stand up, loudly and unapologetically, to embrace the foundational principles our country was founded on and to live each day by the Biblical truths he fought so valiantly to protect.
There was only one Charlie, but because of him, there are now tens of millions of us who can confidently rise up and boldly speak out. For America. For Charlie.
Now, it’s up to us.
Ron Rabou is president of Rabou Farms, Inc. in southeastern Wyoming, a nationally known author, speaker and co-host of the nationally-syndicated podcast AgInspo. For more information, visit raboufarms.com.
