#Niemöller

[gabrielerner]

Poeta de la resistencia: Martin Niemöller

Martin Niemöller en 1952 / J.D. Noske / Anefo – Nationaal Archief Martin Niemöller no fue un poeta. Quizás este texto versificado que presentamos ni siquiera lo sea. Pero condensa en sí el espíritu de la resistencia. Dice: “Nosotros, los espectadores, tenemos que defender incluso a las personas que son perseguidas físicamente, incluso y especialmente cuando no estamos de acuerdo con sus…

[theivorybilledwoodpecker]

First 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 for me.

— Martin Niemöller

[girlactionfigure]

Young Friedrich was born in the German Empire on January 14, 1892. His father was a Lutheran pastor, and he grew up in a very conservative home. He would grow up to become an officer of the Imperial Navy, then returned to his roots, becoming a Lutheran pastor.

As a national conservative, he would support the accession to power of a man he believed would make his country great. He would say nothing as the man he supported began persecuting various targets within their country, group after group. He didn't agree with all his policies, but he continued to support the leader for what he believed was for the greater good of the country.

The list of groups began to increase and expand, from Communists to the incurably ill, to Jews and Jehovah's Witnesses, then foreigners, followed by schools and the press.

When the list of groups expanded to German Protestant churches, he finally started speaking out. But, it was too late. He would be arrested along with other pastors and people who opposed the policies of the leader of the country - Adolf Hitler.

The pastor's full name was Friedrich Gustav Emil Martin Niemöller.

Martin Niemöller, as he would be more commonly known, spent time imprisoned in concentration camps, where he would express his regret for not speaking out before and helping out the first victims of the Nazis.

When the Western Allies advanced, Niemöller was scheduled to be killed, along with other high-ranking prisoners who opposed Hitler. Fortunately, regular German troops would halt the execution just as the U.S. Seventh Army reached them.

Niemöller would abandon his former nationalistic beliefs and help initiate the Stuttgart Declaration of Guilt, becoming a vocal pacifist and anti-war activist.

He would write:

"First 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 for me."

The poem would become a rallying cry against fascism, repeated many times in different versions by Niemöller and others. Some versions exchanged "Socialists" with "Communists." Niemöller has also been denounced because of his earlier antisemitic views and his initial support of Hitler.

He would say, "I am paying for that mistake now; and not me alone, but thousands of other persons like me."

The Jon S. Randal Peace Page  

[nemiyons]

First 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 for me.

Post-war Confessional, Martin Niemöller (1946)

[thatswhywelovegermany]

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Kommunist. Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten, habe ich geschwiegen; ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat. Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten, habe ich geschwiegen, ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter. Als sie mich holten, gab es keinen mehr, der protestieren konnte.

When the Nazis got the communists, I kept quiet; I wasn't a communist, after all.

When they locked up the Social Democrats, I kept quiet; I wasn't a social democrat, after all.

When they called the trade unionists, I kept quiet; I wasn't a trade unionist, after all.

When they took me there was no one left to protest.

Martin Niemöller (1892 – 1984), German theologist

[hussyknee]

[cardassianexpats]

Quote on the Holocaust Memorial in Boston:

First 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 for me.

Martin Niemöller (1892-1984), Lutheran minister and early Nazi supporter who was later imprisoned for opposing Hitler's regime.

[squishymain]

First They Came by Martin Niemoller

[benreyfaggot]

I apologize for posting this as it’s not usual for me to post something about political topics, usually I just reblog other’s posts, but I would like to give my two cents for all of my not straight/not cis/not white followers. I remember a quote from Martin Niemöller speaking of the Holocaust,

“First 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 for me.”

I beg of thee, anyone who is a part of any minority group that is reading this, remember this. Palestinians are being murdered today and allowing their deaths is paving a road to yours. Speak out against this genocide, stand with Palestinians and stop Israel in anyway that you can. I know it may seem like your voice will be drowned out amongst others but one voice can have such an affect. No matter you amount of followers, no matter how many posts you have, no matter what you post, speak out against Israel’s war crimes and the Genocide being committed upon Palestinians.

[murderonthedullexpress]

Do Not Be Silent

The Sound of Silence - Simon and Garfunkel

Silence = Death - Avram Finkelstein

A Litany for Survival - Audre Lorde

First They Came - Pastor Martin Niemöller

S!CK - The Warning

Tahar Djaout

The Heptameron - Marguerite de Navarre

Barbara Kruger

Song of Myself - Walt Whitman

Trust No Cop - Ludlow

{Image descriptions in alt text}

[nando161mando]

They are coming for the Palestinians and WE MUST SPEAK UP...for if we do not, history will never forgive us...

[severeprincesheep]

I watched this FAFO video where a youtuber pointed out that, once again, it was relevant to bring this back, a famous poem by German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984), written during the Holocaust, denouncing the fact that when good people stay silent bad guys win:

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

Ironically Mr. priest over here was put in a concentration camp not for risking his life to save any innocents or anything, but because he was disappointed that Hitler kept church and state separate and his government secular... the Third Reich just wasn't quite patriarchal or fascistic enough to his liking. Just saying.

Well, I learned this lesson early on and I would stand up for my friends when they were under attack - and was rewarded with almost alarm as if they feared being in my debt. I guess they wanted to let me know they wouldn't be there for me if I ever needed them, and they weren't. I met people who thought it was odd of me, as a female, to ever expect anything like gratitude or loyalty. Women don't get to have that, hadn't anyone ever told me?

Outside of personal relationships I was vocally protective of the rights of demographies that didn't include me, namely the LGBT community. I was one of those people who cried real tears of emotion when gay marriage became legal. I wanted equality and inclusion for everyone even when it was clear that this didn't benefit me personally in any way. It didn't have to, it was just the right thing to do.

But then when gender ideology became a threat to women's sex-based rights the same gay people who benefitted from the support of women like me called me a bigot and a phobe and told me to stay silent and suck it up. My rights didn't matter, only men's feelings. Loyalty was not reciprocated as in their vision of the world women are supposed to be servants of men and to revolve around them, so this is simply what men expect and require, no gratitude is in order. I cried real tears over this as well.

Now I can relate to how African-American women feel, as they have been for many years the group that is the most invested in fighting for human rights in America and who show up for everybody; by a large margin they were also the ones who most showed up to vote for Kamala and against Trump's tyranny... only to be defeated by white men and their sycophants, men and their handmaidens who dream of bringing back the South, with chattel for women and slavery for blacks.

People like me and African-American women, we lived our lives by that golden rule that if you don't help out your fellow human beings, regardless of what groups they're in, one day you're gonna need someone to help you and no one will be there.

We were hoodwinked by the patriarchy that conveniently left out that this is a lesson that only men need to learn.

Caring about all other groups and showing up for everybody who needs it does nothing for you... when you are nothing in the eyes of those groups. You can even save their very lives and they'll still see it as you having done nothing more than your duty. When it's their turn to come to the rescue they'll just watch you drown.

[roseunspindle]

First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak out because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade-unionist, 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 the me and there was no one left to speak for me. ~Reverand Martin Niemoller, Pastor

[caffeinated-in-spirit]

"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"

-Pastor Martin Niemöller, First They Came... (1946)

A confessional prose written by a German Lutheran clergyman on his guilt and the guilt of others, including fellow clergymen and German intellectuals, who remained silent in the face of the Nazis' rise to power.

[palatinewolfsblog]

"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.

When they came for me

there was no one left

to speak out for me."

Martin Niemöller,

German pastor, theologian, central figure in the resistance against Hitler and peace activist.

If we heard Niemöller today, I bet he would speak for the Palestinians.

[serenity-bitty]

First they came for the Communists And you did not speak out Because you were not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And you did not speak out Because you were not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And you did not speak out Because you were not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And you did not speak out Because you were not a Jew

Now they come for the Palestinians And you do not speak out Because you are not Palestinian Then they will come for those of color And you will not speak out Because you are not a person of color Then they will come for the queer And you will not speak out Because you are not queer Then they will come for the disabled And you will not speak out Because you are not disabled And then only you will remain And they will come for you And nobody will speak out Because they are not you.