‘First They Came’ by Pastor Martin Neimöller is a powerful poem that speaks on the nature of responsibility in times of war and persecution.
Martin Niemöller, a German Lutheran pastor, is renowned for his outspoken opposition to Adolf Hitler and his regime. His poem 'First They Came' speaks from a place of regret and self-reproach for not taking action sooner against the Nazi government. The poem serves as a timeless cautionary tale against the dangers of apathy, particularly for those who have a platform or hold a position of authority.
First they came for the Communists
And I did not speak out
Because I was not a Communist
Then they came for the Socialists
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