First They Came
The following poem was written in 1946 by a German Lutheran Pastor Marten Lemaner. It’s about the cowardice of German intellectuals and certain clergy—including, by his own admission, the author himself—following the Nazis' rise to power .
I first read it on Twitter, during the lockdowns that started as “14 days to flatten the curve” yet stretched on for years. We were all exhausted at the constant propaganda and overreaching governments, especially after it was clear the “emergency” was over.
“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”
We the screamers
https://wethescreamers.com/