Quote:
Originally posted by Archer
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.
-Martin Niemoller
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I've been thinking about Niemoller more and more lately. If you think about it, the early Nazi campaign might have appealed to certain conservative elements. After all, Berlin in the 1930's had a lot of freewheeling sex. At first, it probably seemed like a nice 'clean up' campaign.
We Americans do not understand a lot of the history of the Holocaust, and that the death camps, gas chambers, and ovens did not get thrown up overnight. They were the end of a long road that began by a group coming into power and taking care of various 'problem elements' who did not have much popular support.
They made us Jews wear yellow stars and homosexuals wear pink triangles. I don't know if the Gypsies, politcial prisoners like Niemoller, or ethnic Poles had their own symbols.
Niemoller started out as a sympathizer with the Nazis, but later, as he watched where they were going, had an attack of conscience and spoke out against them, for which he was imprisoned.
I find his story hopeful and terrifying at the same time. It shows that people can reach into themselves and find the courage to go against what they initially supported when they realize where it will lead. On the other hand, his obervation about the majority who supported the Nazis or looke the other way terrifies me. After all, ethnic Japanese in this country went into detention camps as a security measure, something we did not consider doing to any other ethnic group whose homeland we were at war with.
I'd really like to see a History Channel program on his life. It's the right time for it.