How could we have forgotten so quickly?

Als die Nazis die Kommunisten holten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Kommunist.

Als sie die Sozialdemokraten einsperrten,
habe ich geschwiegen;
ich war ja kein Sozialdemokrat.

Als sie die Gewerkschafter holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Gewerkschafter.

Als sie die Juden holten,
habe ich nicht protestiert;
ich war ja kein Jude.

Als sie mich holten,
gab es keinen mehr, der protestierte

- Pastor Martin Niemöller

 

Um...Shane...not all of us have had that there fancy talk edumacation...how about a translation.

 

Surely you have heard the famous Niemoller poem...

When they [i.e. the Nazis] came for the Communists
I said nothing
I was not a Communist

When they came for the Social Democrats
I said nothing
I was not a Social Democrat

When they came for the trade unionists
I said nothing
I was not a trade unionist

When they came for the Jews
I said nothing
I was not a Jew

When they came for me
There was noone left to say anything

 

Don't Worry Shane, Cynical will be the one writing the 21st century version after shit hits the fan, why don't you wake up dude.

 

Usually I tend to forget things almost instantly when they are written in a foreign language. I was told this is probably why I will never understand German

 

Yes Lick, I know that poem. I can't read German...I wouldn't have asked for the translation if I could read it.

 

Oh, go crawl back under your rock.

 

That poem always seems (to me at least) to carry more weight in it's native tongue.


I was talking to a family member the other day (neocon/neolib) and we were discussing the erosion of rights in the U.S., they said "If you have nothing to hide and are not a terrorist, then why worry about it", brought this poem to mind....