I assume everyone is familiar with the “First they came” poem generally attributed to the anti-Nazi German pastor Martin Niemöller:
“First 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 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.”
Speaking this week at a protest against Congressional health care reform efforts, rightwing radio talk show host Laura Ingraham updated the poem for the Republican Right in 2009:
“First they came for the rich,” Ingraham said. “And I did not speak out because I was not rich. Then they came for the property owners, and I did not speak out because I did not own property. Then they came for the right to bear arms, and I did not speak out because I was not armed. Then they came for me and denied me my medical care, and there was no one left to speak for me…”
Luckily for Niemöller, he is dead and presumably will never know about this. Those of us among the living are not so fortunate.
