That’s something I learned from reading too many books about WWII. It all started with the little things. What’s that “first they came” quote again?
First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out because I was not a Communist.
Then 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 out for me.
You know what’s ironic about that quote, especially in the context of this thread? The group who they really came for first was the LGBTQ, not the Communists. Even in the act of lamenting his failure to speak out, Niemöller failed to speak out about them.
The nazis absolutely came first for the communists, as that was literally part of their rise to power, blaming the communists for the Reichtagsbrand and jailing members of the KPD and SPD so they couldn’t vote against the proposal to give the NSDAP full control.
Alternatively, the NSDAPs founding program 10 years earlier contained “revocation of the german citizenship of jews” as a main point, though they didn’t have the ability to do much at the time.
The group who they really came for first was the LGBTQ
Thats still not really taught in german schools (or at least mine) even though we have this subject at least a whole year in history class.
And whats also not taught is that the more that ten thousand gay people that were thrown in KZs were only rehabilitated in 2001 and those that were sentenced after 1945 in 2017. After the Nazi regime was over the persecution of queer people did not just stop.
That’s something I learned from reading too many books about WWII. It all started with the little things. What’s that “first they came” quote again?
You know what’s ironic about that quote, especially in the context of this thread? The group who they really came for first was the LGBTQ, not the Communists. Even in the act of lamenting his failure to speak out, Niemöller failed to speak out about them.
Another related “fun” fact: the very first NAZI book burnings “included around 20,000 unique works on intersexuality, homosexuality, and transgender topics” from the Institute of Sex Research.
The nazis absolutely came first for the communists, as that was literally part of their rise to power, blaming the communists for the Reichtagsbrand and jailing members of the KPD and SPD so they couldn’t vote against the proposal to give the NSDAP full control.
Alternatively, the NSDAPs founding program 10 years earlier contained “revocation of the german citizenship of jews” as a main point, though they didn’t have the ability to do much at the time.
Thats still not really taught in german schools (or at least mine) even though we have this subject at least a whole year in history class.
And whats also not taught is that the more that ten thousand gay people that were thrown in KZs were only rehabilitated in 2001 and those that were sentenced after 1945 in 2017. After the Nazi regime was over the persecution of queer people did not just stop.
It’s a bit more complicated as the whole of the SA was basically a gay orgy. Certainly not the queer kind of gay, though.
All you need for evil to prevail is “good boundaries.”
Yet another proof that religion doesn’t help anyone