Vexen's Diary Entries
Watching
Calendar
Vexen's LiveJournal Profile
Vexen Crabtree's websites
Next Next
Previous Previous
Links
What's New on Vexen Websites
www.Vexen.co.uk
Vexen's Page Index
www.HumanTruth.info
Vexen's Satanism Site
Vexen's A to Z of Satanism
Random page by Vexen
Vexen's online journals
What Causes Religion? By Vexen Crabtree.
Vexen Crabtree the Sociologist
Vexen Crabtree's Live Journal - In Germany, first they came for the Jews...
Sociology, Theology, Anti-Religion and Exploration: Forcing Humanity Forwards
04:26 pm January 12th, 2002
vexen
[info]vexen
Add to Memories
Tell a Friend
In Germany, first they came for the Jews...

First, they came for the Jews...


This is justification and affirmation of my support for this famous text, as it can on the surface appear to contradict my strong beliefs in the Left Hand Path;

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.

Then they came for the communists
and I did not speak out - because I was not a communist.

Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out - because I was not a trade unionist.

Then they came for me -
and by then there was no one left to speak out for me.

Pastor Martin Niemöller


Community and individuality are not opposites. People cannot survive on their own. When the odds are stacked against you, you must rally with the oppressed and hated.

When a growing oppressive regime is taking hold, you must act, otherwise you will soon face your enemy alone and hopeless.

Strength of community is a strength as much as individualism, as long you are willing to face weaknesses in your own community. Ignoring slacking values will mean that you will be rallied against by those you oppress.

Niemöller affirms we must rally against unhealthy organized regimes. We must also stay vigilant with those that appear to be good natured, as all organisation attracts corruption. Niemöller also warns us that if it is you who are corrupt, then you will face a stronger combined force of foe!

Tags: , , ,
Current Mood: happy
Listening To: Faye Wong - "Stopping half way"
7 Comments or Make Comment
Comments
Thread started by Flain P. Falcon
flainfalcon From: [info]flainfalcon Date: January 15th, 2002 09:17 am (UTC) (Link)
I heard that quote a long time ago and it is very striking. Cool to hear it again and still see it has the same feeling. Thankz!
(Reply) (Thread)
vexen From: [info]vexen Date: January 19th, 2002 06:15 am (UTC) (Link)
Cool!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
Comment by Anonymous
From: (Anonymous) Date: March 12th, 2003 08:57 am (UTC) (Link)
Thanks for having Niemoeller's lines on your site.
(Reply) (Thread)
Thread started by Anonymous
From: (Anonymous) Date: June 9th, 2007 10:18 pm (UTC) (Link)

lines are incorrect
I was googling and came across your site. I just wanted to let you know that the poem doesn't start off with "First they came for the Jews..." The Nazis didn't first come for the Jews. They first imprisoned the political opponents of the Nazi party first: communists, political opponents, unionist, Gypsies, and gays. Around 1938 was when the Nazis began taking the Jewish people. Somehow the lines got corrupted. (I myself had an incorrect version in a textbook as a child, which caused confusion for me later.)

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.
(Reply) (Thread)
From: (Anonymous) Date: June 10th, 2007 12:56 pm (UTC) (Link)

Re: lines are incorrect
OK. Reading your version, I am sure that that's the one I myself read as a kid, too. I am not too concerned, the meaning of the poem is still clear even if it is not strictly chronological.

Thanks for the info!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
vexen From: [info]vexen Date: June 10th, 2007 12:56 pm (UTC) (Link)

Re: lines are incorrect
OK. Reading your version, I am sure that that's the one I myself read as a kid, too. I am not too concerned, the meaning of the poem is still clear even if it is not strictly chronological.

Thanks for the info!
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
From: (Anonymous) Date: February 8th, 2008 10:47 pm (UTC) (Link)

Re: lines are incorrect
If we can reach out when others are victimized, the oppressors won't be getting stronger. Do you now that there were wars and genocides in German colonies in Africa and that blacks were persecuted and castrated in Germany? This is a missing link in that poem.
(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)
7 Comments or Make Comment