nina colors

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for the Incurably sick,
I did not speak out;
I was not Incurably sick.

When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈≈  
Martin Niemoller,
German Protestant Pastor,
1892-1984

We come, and we go.  We make mistakes and try to rectify them. Sometimes we pay for our mistakes. Pastor Niemoller initially supported the Nazis as they rose up against the Weimar Republic in Germany, and even seemed to have anti-semitic views.  When he was liberated after 13 yrs in Dachau and another camp (for activities “against the state”), he was a changed man, and penned the above piece.

We can only do the best we can do.  Understanding this makes it mighty hard to criticize others.  We come and we go.