Are we allowed to learn from history on Holocaust Remembrance Day? Apparently, some think the answer should be no if it raises uncomfortable questions about what is happening in our country. During remarks on yesterday's Holocaust Remembrance resolution, a colleague interrupted my floor speech to say that current events were not germane to the topic at hand. I encourage you to watch the entire video and determine the relevance for yourself.
For me, as the daughter of a Holocaust survivor, it is frightening to watch the United States take steps toward becoming a totalitarian state. America's current approach to immigration enforcement is inhumane. It is also being used to expand the nation's surveillance and detention capacity, as well as being a means to coerce states to comply with unconstitutional orders. We need to oppose this now; let us not be like Martin Niemöller, who saw what was happening but did not speak out until it was too late. What is the point of remembrance if we are just going to watch when our nation starts to repeat the mistakes of the past? If we are silent about what is happening, "Never Again" means nothing.
Because of the interruption, I cut the following passage from my remarks, which reference my firm belief that we need legislation like New York for All, Dignity Not Detention, and the MELT Act to protect people in this time: "Masked federal agents cannot continue rampaging through communities and into homes with warrants they signed for themselves. Human dignity requires due process, transparency, and the right to counsel. If these rights are not for everyone, we will eventually find they apply to no one."
I share this full video so that you can see the resistance I am facing as I continue to push for legislation to protect us and our neighbors. I do not want you to email the colleague who interrupted my remarks, but you should continue reaching out to Assembly leadership and the Governor to demand that New York pass a suite of new laws to protect us from the federal government.
Our current moment has many historical parallels. We should be trying to learn from all of them instead of remaining in denial about the danger we are in. We must speak out and take action at every opportunity; we can't just watch when our nation starts to repeat the mistakes of the past.