"They came first for the Communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Communist. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for me (a Christian) and by that time no one was left to speak up." (en.wikipedia.org)
Niemoller served in U-Boats in WWI (awarded the Iron Cross First Class) and became a Lutheran Pastor. By the end of WWII he was in Dachau concentration camp.
Well-Being Australia chairman Mark Tronson says that Niemoller's speech is a reminder that Australia has many freedoms which can easily be chipped away at, by well meaning gestures that do nothing but make our society restrictive.
Whenever he hears comments about "stomping on some free activity", he sees that as the first nail in the proverbial coffin to curtail our wonderful Australian boisterous life style.
There are many examples of this. Mark Tronson recalls his early twenties when in 1971 he established the Port Kembla Baptist Junior Hockey Club with five junior boys teams from Under 12's to Under 16's. He says that it was decided to hold a 'walkathon' to raise funds with business sponsored advertising sandwich boards over our shoulders. He continues the story about the system:
"The frustration to get this walk authorised was beyond imagination, but we preservered but we were neither given permission or told we could not hold the event. We held it without drama. After that experience my antenna was up for any such endeavour being stymied."
Much more recently, he was reading PerthNow's Katie Robertson story titled "WA Senator Glenn Sterle defends wet T-shirt shows" where Sterle supported a foot race along a Broom beach "of girls wearing wet T-shirts for a $500 prize".
On the opposing team was Liberal MP Peter Abetz who claimed the competition was demeaning to women while Opposition spokeswoman for women's interests, Michelle Roberts, claimed the event was "unfortunate" and "not good" for the women involved.
Mark Tronson explained he has two opposing sentiments, in that he concurs with Abetz and Roberts, but on the other hand, it goes against every sinew of his being to curtail such community activities after his own experience. The latter is his greater loyalty.
Senator Sterle was reported as saying that the women who entered the competitions were adult and the event was "a bit of fun" and moreover, it paints all politicians as stale bottles of milk. He noted that the hotel offers a service which is obviously popular among patrons and townspeople. To get 700 people in one establishment in the Kimberley is no mean feat. www.perthnow.com.au
As an aside, the Police investigated the New Year's Eve winner who used a friend's ID claiming she was 18 when in fact she was only 16. The winner was fined $200 while the hotel was fined $1000 for allowing a minor to be involved. (www.smh.com.au)
Another similar issue arose on the Gold Coast recently where a $5000 prize was offered for scantily dressed young women in a footrace at the Bundall Races, and along with that, similar ructions when two different motor racing model troupes turned out for SuperV8 Indy. In those cases it was pointed out that through such events as these, many young women get their chance at a modelling career. (au.christiantoday.com)
Again, Mark Tronson stated that he concurred with the sentiment of closing these down, but on the other hand, it curtails such community activities. The latter is his greater loyalty. They'll want to stamp out women's beach volleyball next because the girls dress scantily.
What concerns him most is that with closing down such events, the entire society is surely but slowly forced to adhere to a more restrictive climate. In the end your own neighbour becomes feared as a "snitch".
This is totalitarianism by the back door of social engineering.
In other words, every time something like these events get a wet blanket put over them, our historic society based on our free spirit is under attack. Every local Council is at the forefront of such "wet blanket attacks" as they determine 'yea' or 'nay'.
In Mark Tronson's view, every Council foyer wall should have a large plaque with Niemoller's words. It would remind us all to stand firm and support such 'good-fun' events, on the basis of our free society.
Moreover, Mark Tronson says, these things tend to gain a momentum that takes a society down paths never originally intended. He explained that "this or that" gets canned and banned, then as a consequence, something else gets canned and banned, and the dominoes keep falling until your own cherished event joins the deluge.
Christian worship might also someday be on that "canning and banning" list.