And Then They Came for Me

"If you wait to speak out, you have already lost."

Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller of Germany was a Nazi sympathizer in the 1920s and early 1930s who despised Jews, intellectuals, and political dissidents. But when Adolf Hitler came to power in 1933, he repented and became an outspoken critic of the regime.

As a result, Niemöller spent the last eight years of Nazi rule, from 1937 to 1945, in Nazi prisons and concentration camps.

After World War II, Niemöller had this unforgettable observation of the perils of silence in the face of fascism:

“First 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 for me.”

Trump's ICE Detains Afghans Who Helped U.S. Forces

There has been international outrage over the Trump administration’s questionable use of the Alien Enemies Act to send detainees to El Salvador’s notorious supermax prison without due process. Meanwhile, Afghans who worked alongside U.S. forces, and then sought safety in America when the Taliban returned to power, are also now being detained without explanation, fearing they will be executed if returned home.

At the White House last week, President Trump told El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele to build five more supermax prisons for Americans because, "Homegrowns are next. The homegrowns. You gotta build about five more places. It's not big enough."

Trump has expressed eagerness to imprison those who have investigated him, including lawmakers who led the inquiry into his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the Capitol. "Everybody on that committee … for what they did, yeah, honestly, they should go to jail.”

Specifically, Trump has singled out former congressmembers Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger for incarceration.

America, We Are Running Out Of Time

In a new article titled A Ticking Clock on American Freedom, Adrienne LaFrance, executive editor of The Atlantic, sounds a powerful alarm:

“Today, right now—and I mean right this second—you have the most power you’ll ever have in the current fight against authoritarianism in America. Authoritarian leaders topple democracy faster than you can imagine. If you wait to speak out against them, you have already lost.”

“An authoritarian repeats lies, yes, but he also repeats outrageous truths until they no longer sound outrageous, at least to some. Tell people again and again that you’re going to imprison political enemies or journalists, or otherwise take away basic freedoms, and the public becomes primed to accept the attack when it finally happens.”

Nothing is more essential for the preservation of our nation than for all of us to stand up, speak out, and do everything within our power to protect our constitutional democracy. As Adrienne LaFrance notes, “It’s later than you think, but it’s not too late.”

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The next national day of protest is scheduled for May 1, known as May Day, which is also an international distress signal used in life-threatening emergencies.

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Resources:

50 Protests. 50 States.1 Movement. ~50.50.1

A Ticking Clock on American Freedom ~The Atlantic

Martin Niemöller, First They Came for Me ~Holocaust Encyclopedia

Trump's ICE Detains Afghans Who Helped U.S. Forces ~Reason

Yes, Trump Said El Salvador's President Should Build More Prisons for 'Homegrown' U.S. Criminals ~Snopes FactCheck

The Pandemic of Tyranny ~Perspectives

The Invisible Fire of Cultural Cleansing ~Perspectives

America’s Gulag is Born ~Perspectives

Because of Your Convictions ~Perspectives

Video Bonus: The Absurd Lie