If I am only for myself, what am I?

Not even a muppet.

I apologize for not being a good steward of my own Substack. All I think about these days is politics and wishing I had a job so that I could stop thinking about politics for eight hours of my day. And when it comes time to write something, it’s likely to be about politics, and so many people do it so much better than I. And that leads to inertia. And I write nothing.

Nothing I say will change anyone’s mind about anything. But here are the thoughts that have been making my stomach gurgle.

But before I start, let me share with you my Chat GPT prompt, which was Muppetize me, and an uploaded photo of myself.

Each AI prompt uses approximately 16 oz. of water, so please use wisely, like to muppetize yourself or turn yourself into an action hero.

Now that a second delegation has gone to El Salvador for proof of life from immigrants deported to CECOT, some are wondering why Democrats are spending so much time on so-called illegals.

In case you’re living under a rock, I’ll remind you of Martin Niemöller’s powerful poem, “First They Came”:

First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Socialist
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 out for me

The idea, friends, is that when they come for the communists, or, in this case, the immigrants and the Palestinian protesters, that is the moment to speak out. In Fascism 101, you learn that authoritarian rule goes after the most disenfranchised people first, believing (because it’s true) that most people won’t care and may actually embrace the government’s illegal actions. Just look at the dishonorable Senator Markwayne Mullin, Nazi Stephen Miller, Dog-Killer Homeland Security Sexretary Kristi Noem (who can’t keep her own purse safe, much less the country, and probably knows it, which is why she had three grand and her getaway passport in it), and the other usual suspects.

When the government sees they can get away with that, they’ll go after the queers and trans folk, and you won’t care about them, either, because of all the trans woman who took a medal from someone assigned female at birth¹ or all the person who changed their sex to be a women’s restroom predator, which happens nevery day. Or they’ll round up the “home-grown” terrorists—not the ones who violently stormed the capital on Jan 6 and killed law enforcement and shat on desks, but the peaceful ones who carry signs and sing.

They will go after each group until no one remains but the billionaires. And when your name pops up on one of the lists, the rest of us will be gone.

That’s the main reason this fight to save immigrants is so important. But the other one is the rule of law. The Constitution is the foundation of this country. If you’re OK with ignoring it, you’re a fascist, and you’ll have to live with that. But if you want that document to protect you from the aforementioned detention centers and camps, you’ll need to defend all of it, not just the parts you like.

The Constitution protects any human being on American soil. You do not have to be a citizen; you need only be in this country. That makes you entitled to due process. You can’t be swept off the streets and disappeared. You are entitled to a trial.

I know—wah!—trials take so long! But when you’re wrongfully accused of being a gang member because you have a tattoo with a crown on it, or when you’re considered a thief because you didn’t hold onto the receipt for that bottle of Coke at CVS, you’d probably want that phone call you’re entitled to and that legal defense you’re promised in the Miranda rights they’re supposed read to you, and a chance to plead your case. No criminal record was found for 90 percent of the men rounded up in these illegal deportations.

It's not different. Due process applies to us all, even our most heinous criminals. Even 47, a convicted felon, who still made use of the Constitution he now ignores.

When Senator Chris Van Hollen, a fucking hero, went to El Salvador to get proof of life for Kilmar Abrego Garcia’s family, he did it because Abrego Garcia and his wife are constituents. He was not making a special case for one man. He was trying to restore due process for all, starting with a single constituent. Likewise, what the Supreme Court does for one, it does for all.

Once again, I will remind you of the words I live by:

“If I am not for myself, who will be for me? And if I am only for myself, what am I? And if not now, when?” —Rabbi Hillel

Commit that quote to memory. Make it your personal motto, too.

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1. You can find several articles online about 900 medals taken from AFAB women by trans women, all citing the same source, which not only doesn’t exist but was simply a letter to the UN from a TERF group called WOLF. There are several threads about it on Reddit.

Read more about the impact of transgender athletes.

2. Here’s the info on AI use from the muppet caption.