Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Pastor Niemoeller's warning

Whatever the position that Pastor Niemoeller took during World War 2, his famous warning came from direct experience in the slide of "good Germans" from a position of patriotic righteousness to fascist compliance. Don't lose the forest for the trees.

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.

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