Vote

(The dinner continued.)

"Barack will stay in the White House, I'm sure," F remarked.

"Why?" W was incredulous.

"You know, the unwritten rule is our President would serve at least two terms unless he does something really wrong to the whole country." the man from Massachusetts explained.

"And, the catch is, he only ill-treats the Texas people," F added, "To the other States, the President is a harmless creature. People may have heard of his wrongdoings, but none of them outside Texas have the personal experience. When we vote, we ask ourselves: Is this man fulfilling his duty for the country? And we have to say yes. True, he is not brilliant; in a sense he just sits there and does very little - except taking care of his private matters. But he is not intrusive to the administration of the others and we have all the freedom to run our own State. Many a time he also gives a little help here or there. Yes, we all know he is nasty to his own people - but, thank goodness, we are not his own people!"

"We must remember what Martin Niemöller said," C murmured,
     "First they came for the communists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a communist.
      Then they came for the socialists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a socialist.
      Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a trade unionist.
      Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Jew.
      Then they came for the Catholics, and I didn't speak out because I wasn't a Catholic.
      Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak for me."

The rest of the table became silent.