First they came for . . .

NO RANTS!!! Stick to the assignment. This is an assignment--find somewhere else to purge your ideas--either for or against the day. Many of you are missing the point. READ the assignment-do not just react to words. And yes, I still love you.


First they came for the Communists,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Communist.
Then they came for the Jews,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the Catholics,
and I didn’t speak up,
because I was a Protestant.
Then they came for me,
and by that time there was no one
left to speak up for me.

by Rev. Martin Niemoller, 1945

Have you ever been picked on? Called names? Harassed? It does not make one feel good and strong and in control of one's little piece of the earth, does it? No one should ever have to deal with that.

For any reason. Not because one is heavy, skinny, poor, black, hispanic, slow, blond, gay, lesbian, transgender or has a disabilty of any kind and the list goes on.

On Friday the nation will have a Day of Silence to recognize and give 'voice' to those silenced by bullying, name-calling and harassment. EDITED TO READ:This is NOT a day for/of gay rights or whatever else you may think. OUR SCHOOl AND THIS class celebrates the idea of TOLERANCE. You do not need to accept or approve of someone, but in my class and in this school you do need to tolerate. Therefore, this is a day to stand up against tyranny and bullying everywhere, for EVERYONE. It is a day to stand up against name-calling, bullying and harassment. You do not need to be gay, lesbian or transgender to show your support of breaking the silence on prejudice and the injustices done in the name of intolerance. No one should ever be silenced because of someone's else's idea of a correct world. Intolerance is unbearable and unjust.

Choose a person you know or a character in a book you read, who you feel stood up for the underdog, the silenced, the downtrodden and discuss what happened, how this person is perceived by others and what the outcome was. What type of person was he/she? Do you admire this person?

Peace and kindness,
Mrs. Gaboury