“First they came for the Communists, but I was not a Communist so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Socialists and the Trade Unionists, but I was neither, so I did not speak out. Then they came for the Jews, but I was not a Jew so I did not speak out. And when they came for me, there was no one left to speak out for me.”
– Dietrich Bonhoeffer
What we discover when we read this quote from Bonhoeffer is horrific and even terrifying when we think of Anne Frank, Corrie Ten Boom and other accounts of the terrors of the Holocaust. As a minister and pastor in WWII Germany, Bonhoeffer probably watched on as other demographic groups were isolated as threats to the regime within the Fatherland. However, by his own admission, he ignored much until the day came when they came for him and his comrades.
Advocacy is about being a voice for those who have no voice of their own. Think of how you may be able to address the needs of children and the disabled. How about the elderly and immigrants? You may not agree with everyone’s values and ideals, but you do have to agree that there are some certain civil and human rights that we should ensure that people have as a matter of human decency.
Where is your voice? Who have you spoken up for? for whom have you stood up and spoken out on principle? Where is your voice?
“We often expect more from others than we are willing to do ourselves.”- Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Pastor Martin Niemöller was the German pastor who said your opening quote, not Bonhoeffer.
That is truly interesting because numerous sources have cited Bonhoeffer. I will have to look into Pastor Martin Niemöller myself, but I thank you for catching that one. In a GIGO (Garbage In, Garbage Out) age, I suppose every wiki and search engine is only as good as what it trolls and spits out. It is up to us to verify despite our sources. I’ll take it on the chin for that one. Thanks again.