"Onlookers?"

From Rabbi Joachim Prinz:  "Bigotry and hatred are not the most urgent problems.  The most urgent, the most disgraceful, the most tragic problem is silence."  Rabbi Prinz was a Berlin rabbi in Hitler's Germany.  He went on, "A great people [speaking of the Germans], which had created a great civilization, had become a nation of onlookers.  They remained silent in the face of hate, in the face of brutality, in the face of mass murder.  American must not become a nation of silent onlookers...."

Now, he was speaking in Washington, DC, on the occasion of Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.  But his words ring true today, if in a somewhat different context.

Coincidentally, I received an e-mail from an old friend today.  I haven't yet had time to open the link, but she sent something about the Romans and Americans.  Hmmm......  I wonder, with our own versions of "Bread and Circuses," have we become too comfortable in our lives?

I know we all have lots to do.  Our lives are filled.  But perhaps all it takes is a little time to think about, say, who we elect to office and how we communicate with them.

I don't know if this is related or not, but......  It didn't get any newspaper time here--or at least I didn't see it. But President Obama invited the '72 Miami Dolphins, undefeated NFL Super Bowl Champions, to the White House.  Whew, that was more than 40 years ago.  (As an aside, one of my Amherst College mates was a member of that team, Doug Swift outside linebacker.)  One might think or at least I might that President Obama has better things, more important things to do than this.  I'm not aiming my criticism at Obama; I have never thought this was a good use of Presidents' time and efforts.  I don't know who started this, but whoever he was, he shouldn't have.  But, my point is this:  three Dolphins refused to show up, citing their deep dissatisfaction with this President and his policies and programs.  Good for them!  I would hope, had I ever been in a similar situation with Obama, Clinton, W Bush--whoever--I would have had the moxie and integrity to "Just say no!"  These three, with their protest, refuse to participate as "a nation of silent onlookers."  But, I'd imagine, few took notice and fewer still gave their boycott any thought.  Besides beingAll-Pro football players and maybe even Hall of Famers, Manny Fernandez, Jim Langer, and Bob Kuechenberg have gained a little more of my respect.