Several readers sent us the screenshot above, supposedly captured by a Facebook friend on state representative Matt Grossell's personal Facebook page. (His campaign Facebook page and his official legislator Facebook page are separate entities).
UPDATE: The Beltrami County Republicans have copy and pasted the statement on their Facebook page. [end update]
We can't see the post on his page, but since the Clearbrook Republican asked for it to be shared "as far and wide as you possibly can," we'll try to oblige him.
Grossell believes that the protest movement spring from the death of George Floyd isn't about systemic racial injustice--indeed, not about race at all in his opinion--but "an alter agenda to destroy this republican and any other free country around the world. As someone who's taken oaths, he fancies he still has the privileges of those jobs. Indeed, much of the post seems to be about privilege.
Such are the thoughts of Minnesota State Representative Matt Grossell between midnight and 1:00 a.m.
While one of our sources found the post "scary," Bluestem was intrigued by the unsourced quotation, "All evil needs to get a foothold is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke--or John Stuart Mills?
A quick google of the phrase revealed neither. The good people at Montciello looked at it in All tyranny needs to gain a foothold...(Spurious Quotation):
Variations: This quotation has hundreds of variations, which generally are composed of some combination of the following components:
(All that is necessary/needed/required) OR (all it takes) OR (the best way)) for evil to (triumph OR succeed OR prosper OR prevail OR "win in the world" OR "gain a foothold") is for ("good men" OR "good people" OR "good men and women" OR "people of good conscience") to ("do nothing" OR "say nothing" OR "remain silent")
The article suggests two other articles, including one by the Quote Investigator , "The Only Thing Necessary for the Triumph of Evil is that Good Men Do Nothing" from December 4, 2010.
Perhaps most relevant for Grossell, the Quote Investigator gets down to the origins of the saying:
Edmund Burke died in 1797, and John Stuart Mill died in 1873. Both produced apothegms that are loosely similar to the quotation under investigation but are unmistakably distinct. The earliest known citation showing a strong similarity to the modern quote appeared in October of 1916. The researcher J. L. Bell found this important instance. The maxim appeared in a quotation from a speech by the Reverend Charles F. Aked who was calling for restrictions on the use of alcohol: 2
It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.
QI believes that the full name of Aked was Charles Frederic Aked, and he was a prominent preacher and lecturer who moved from England to America. The same expression was attributed to Aked in another periodical in 1920. Details for this cite are given further below. . . .
In October 1916 the San Jose Mercury Herald reported on a speech by Charles F. Aked in favor of prohibition as mentioned at the beginning of this article. Aked used an expression similar to the quotation under investigation; however, he used the locution “it has been said” to signal that he was not claiming originality. Thus, the saying was probably in circulation before 1916. Here is a longer excerpt: 8
“The people in the liquor traffic,” said the speaker, “simply want us to do nothing. That’s all the devil wants of the son of God—to be let alone. That is all that the criminal wants of the law—to be let alone. The sin of doing nothing is the deadliest of all the seven sins. It has been said that for evil men to accomplish their purpose it is only necessary that good men should do nothing.”
Note the second half of the adage is very close to the modern statement. The use of the word “evil” in the first half matches the modern version, but the phrase “evil men” harks back to the term “bad men” used by Burke and Mill.
In June 1920 a periodical called “100%: The Efficiency Magazine” published a maxim that was identical to the one above. The saying was again attributed to Rev. Charles F. Aked and it occurred twice: once in the subhead of the article and once in the body. The following passage referred to a “constructive publication”, but it was never identified in the article body: 9
The slogan of a recently established constructive publication is “For evil men to accomplish their purpose, it is only necessary that good men do nothing,” quoting the Rev. Charles F. Aked. While this is recognized as true of municipal politics, is it not also being evidenced as an actual condition in American industry? . . .
According to Sarah Horner's report in Northern Minnesota lawmaker can avoid conviction through diversion program:
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A state lawmaker charged with disorderly conduct and trespassing for drunken conduct earlier this spring will evade convictions on his record if he successfully completes a court diversion program.
Rep. Matt Grossell was admitted to the program at a hearing in Ramsey County District Court Thursday, according to his attorney, Ryan Garry.
The five-month program requires participants to establish and complete goals outlined and supervised by staff with Project Remand.
Rep. Matt Grossell, R-Clearbook, was arrested on Saturday, May 4, 2019, in St. Paul. He was cited for disorderly conduct and trespassing.
The non-profit organization provides alternatives to detention for adults in the criminal justice system, according to its web site.
Participants must have identifiable problems in need of intervention to be eligible for the program as well as meet several other criteria.
They also have to admit guilt for their conduct, though completion of diversion means they avoid entering a guilty plea in court and having the offense ding their criminal record.
Diversion was the ideal outcome for Grossell, his attorney said.
“Rep. Grossell is pleased that all charges will be completely dismissed in five months and he looks forward to doing public service in his community,” Garry wrote in an email.
Hotel security called St. Paul police about 1 a.m. this past May to the Best Western Plus Capitol Ridge, which is near the state Capitol, after a report of an intoxicated man acting disorderly in the bar.
As a man who was in need of intervention from a bout with the "liquor traffic," Grossell might want to learn the context of the wise words he cites.
Or he could just engage in more snipe hunts for bus loads of imaginary enemies, as we noted in Snipe hunt of war: Grossell spent night out with patriot buds waiting for phantom buses.
Related posts
- Beltrami Co. Sheriff addresses rumors and misinformation; Grossell presence confirmed
- Was Minnesota state representative Matt Grossell out with vigilantes during Bemidji curfew?
Screengrab: Grossell is afraid of protests, his early Wednesday night Facebook page reveals.
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