The Rev. Martin Niemöller was a Lutheran pastor who is best known for his 1946 quote, “First 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 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.”
While Rev. Niemöller is a controversial historical figure, his quote should be instructive for our congressman, Brian Fitzpatrick, the only former FBI agent serving in the United States Congress. He has failed repeatedly to take a principled decisive stand against Donald Trump’s litany of hate and divisiveness, whether it be against Mexicans, the treatment of the LGBTQ community, the rights of women or the undermining of the free press just to mention a few.
His responses, if any, are consistently tepid, always looking to walk too fine a line with the purpose of staying in power. Only now that they have come after his FBI brethren has Fitzpatrick taken somewhat of a stand.
Like Niemöller, he finds himself alone among his Republican colleagues with no one to stand with him in speaking for the embattled FBI.
The time to take a stand has long passed and has led us to where we are today. Brian Fitzpatrick twice failed to vote for the impeachment of Donald Trump. He refused to serve on the Jan. 6 committee with his more principled Republican colleagues, where his expertise as a former FBI agent would have been invaluable.
And now that his former FBI colleagues are in danger, he is cornered.
This is the state of our nation. Congressman Fitzpatrick constantly talks of being bipartisan. This time, history requires more from our elected leaders.
The First Congressional District deserves leadership that puts country over party. !
Michael Grothman, Newtown
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