"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."

My name is Karen North. I have been Republican since I was old enough to vote. I grew up in a conservative, religious home and never doubted that the U.S. Government and especially the Republican Party had America's best interest at heart. I have never been particularly active politically, but the time has come for me to speak up. My goal with this blog is to highlight issues that need to be addressed. As English philosopher Edmund Burke said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."
This country was built on the concept that we need to be free. That means free to express our beliefs and views even if they are in discord with what is popular, or even if they are (gasp!) "anti-American". There is a trend under the current administration to limit and even take away those freedoms.
This is not a new thing, to be fair (think McCarthy.) It is, however, a very dangerous one. The erosion of personal freedoms always starts off small, seemingly with good reason. It targets a minority group or an unpopular viewpoint, and points out the way that group or ideology is threatening the way of life of good people everywhere. You see, if you demonize your opponent, and scare the shit out of the common man, nobody will protest when you take away the bad guys' property, civil rights, and ultimately, their lives.
This has been borne out time and time again throughout history. A notable example is the Nazi Regime in Germany in the 1930's and 40's. I won't go into the details here; if you have any questions regarding this, I trust you will research on your own. But it is happening again, right here in the Land of Liberty herself, the United States of America.
I am referring to the government's increasing invasion into the private lives of it's citizens. Right now firefighters are being trained nationwide to be on the alert for suspicious activity, and even "told to be alert for a person who is hostile, uncooperative or expressing hate or discontent with the United States" according to The Raw Story. One reason this is particularly alarming is that unlike police officers, firefighters do not require a search warrant to search private property. More than that, however, is this: Discontent! What the Hell? Do you understand what this is saying? At what point did it become a crime to speak your mind? I refer you to the above referenced regime.
We as a nation are at a crossroads. We can either take a stand for freedom for all Americans, or we can bury our heads in the sand until it is too late. I leave you with this quote from Pastor Martin Niemoller:
First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.