Worth the speaking
March 31, 2008 by Abhishek
In Germany, they first came for the communists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a communist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew.
Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Catholics and I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Catholic.
Then they came for me — and by that time there was nobody left to speak up.
-Martin Niemoller
I think this Martin Niemoller quote is something that we should all think about in this time when certain groups of people are being attacked and many of us are standing by silently.
Yes, indeed.
I also like to think of this quote as a reminder that when governments pass laws that restrict certain kinds of individual freedom, we should not stand silently merely because those laws don’t affect us directly.