Poem.....

April 14, 2008

Attributed to Pastor Martin Niemoeller (1892- 1984) about the inactivity of the German intellectuals during the rise of the Nazis to power and the purging of their chosen targets, group after group.

They came first for the Communists. And I didn’t speak up, because I wasn’t a Communist. And then they came for the trade unionists. And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a trade unionist. And then they came for the Jews. And I didn’t speak up because I wasn’t a Jew. And then they came for me….and by that time, there was no one left to speak up.

Thanks to Das (Dasarathi of Cadem Technologies ) for this lovely poem. He quoted the first line in this month’s quiz of QuizFamilies…..

And somehow, in my mind, this poem reminds me of this song by Simon and Garfunkel