“In Germany, the Nazis first came for the communists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a communist. Then they came for the Jews, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a Jew. Then they came for the trade unionists, and I didn't speak up because I wasn't a trade unionist. Then they came for the Catholics, but I didn't speak up because I was a protestant. Then they came for me, and by that time there was no one left to speak for me.”

Let this be a caution to us today.

We all must speak for ourselves.

This aspect of history will be repeated many times.

We must speak out against the unreasonable, or there will be no one left to speak but the government.

The marvel of this quote, is it even works right for the perps of all the first actions... for eventually there will be an uprising against such perps, and there will be no one who will stand for them... for they too are victims of their own crimes.

We must ALL, speak, and more, DO!!! One thing that all must learn is correct court procedure and then tie up the courts with Constitutional rights issues. Also learn what the rights and obligations of a juror are so that when a judge lies to you in juror nullification instructions you can just smile, then go and fulfill your right(s) and obligations(s). (As a Start)

This is a very familiar quote that has a corrollary: "Never let them get your guns!" I would add something to that one as well: "Don't be afraid to use them." Often speaking up is not enough to stop evil.

misquoted... the other version is the correct quote.

Excelent.. Don't take democracy for granted, It has to be continually defended. Remember there is no such thing as a free lunch.

r hoyes, just a slight caveat. Democracy was the most feared and hated form of government (even more than a monarchy) by the founders of the de jure States united (U.S.A.) The founders organized a Representative Republic, based on the laws of nature and of nature's God so that a democracy would never show its ugly head on this land.

A hybrid form of government called, democratic Republicanism, Not a democracy !! This is stated in the Federalist Papers. Their are free lunches, you grow it and make it for yourself, without the taxman working for the king, wanting a piece of your bread. Barter and trade was very prevalent prior to 1937, when FDR stop the trade between the farmer and mercantile. And created nationalized crops ! You did not need funny money. Some very smart famers still to this day, know to never use your land for collateral on any purchase. One that is lucky to have old growth trees, theirs your insurance policy. If you can only grow grass, you have stock, each and the other supply each others needs. Thru barter. By not allowing a way as once was, no property tax or payroll tax on the ( freeborn ) of our country, The most simple and poor pay the highest cost of slaver. Republius new the answer, as it is so stated in our Federalist papers, No direct tax on the poor and needy or a freeborn. But, it did not take, that long, to go away did it ? After our founding fathers paid for the war , the tax should have ceased. A toll road to life makes slaves doesn't it ! We should all speak up, louder and louder all the time.

In fact one of the first things the nazis did was to fire about 80,000 German civil service workers not because of their religion or ethnicity: they were simply women. Then the nazis gave these same jobs to men at higher salaries and claimed to have created 80,000 jobs. What happened to the women? Who cares? jewish men and women didn't get alarmed yet. After all didn't men need work so why not illegally fire the women and who cares that they needed the income just as much?

"I didn't speak up when they fired the women because I was not a woman. But when they fired the Jews, the women didn't protest because I hadn't even noticed their suffering. "

The advocate of democracy and  Socialism speaks for the cause of everyone, no matter what their mental derangement, never losing hope for proper mental arrangement to one day be a realization by all members of the homosapien species.