“You do not wake up one morning a bad person. It happens by a thousand tiny surrenders of self-respect to self-interest.”
- Robert Brault

Martin Niemöller was a German pastor and theologian; an anti-Communist who, early on, supported Hitler’s rise to power. But when Hitler insisted on the supremacy of the state over religion, Niemöller became disillusioned and became the leader of a group of German clergymen opposed to Hitler. Hitler detested Niemöller and had him arrested in 1937. Eventually, Niemöller was confined in the Sachsenhausen and Dachau concentration camps until his release in 1945 by the Allies.

Niemöller continued his career in Germany as a clergyman and as a leading voice of penance and reconciliation for the German people after World War II. He is best remembered for a poem he wrote which is widely known and frequently quoted. The poem is a popular model for describing the dangers of political apathy, as it often begins with specific and targeted fear and hatred which soon escalates out of control.

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.

Peter Dreier, the E.P. Clapp Distinguished Professor of Politics, and director of the Urban & Environmental Policy program, at Occidental College, writing for CommonDreams.org has a thought-provoking update to this simple poem in today’s political vernacular –

First Big Business, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs, the Religious Right, the Wall Street Journal, Mitch McConnell, and Karl Rove came for ACORN, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not ACORN.

Then they came for SEIU, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not SEIU.

Then they came for the Apollo Alliance, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the Apollo Alliance.

Then they came for the Center for American Progress, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the Center for American Progress.

Then they came for the Sierra Club, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the Sierra Club.

Then they came for the National Organization for Women, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the National Organization for Women.

Then they came for the other community organizers, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not community organizers.

Then they came for AFSCME, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not AFSCME.

Then they came for the National Council of La Raza, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the National Council of La Raza.

Then they came for the NAACP, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the NAACP.

Then they came for the ACLU, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the ACLU.

Then they came for the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force.

Then they came for the National Council of Churches, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the National Council of Churches.

Then they came for the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the Religious Action Center of Reform Judaism.

Then they came for the AARP, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the AARP.

Then they came for the Teamsters, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not Teamsters.

Then they came for the Catholic Worker, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the Catholic Worker.

Then they came for UNITE HERE, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not UNITE HERE.

Then they came for the Immigrant Solidarity Network, and, the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the Immigrant Solidarity Network.

Then they came for the National Education Association, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the National Education Association.

Then they came for the U.S. Student Association, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the U.S. Student Association.

Then they came for the American Association of University Professors, and the Democrats did not speak out — because they were not the American Association of University Professors

Then Big Business, Glenn Beck, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Bill O’Reilly, Lou Dobbs, the Religious Right, the Wall Street Journal, Mitch McConnell, and Karl Rove came for the Democrats — and there was no one left to speak out for the Democrats.

Who will speak when they come for us?