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
-“First They Came”, by German Lutheran Pastor Martin Niemöller
While this pastor wrote his poem in relation to the complicity of German intellectuals and clergy in Nazi Germany, the sentiment of this poem ends up being relevant to us in the United States—if we are not careful—in the age of the current Trump administration committing injustice after injustice. From going after diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) hires to going after personal political enemies; from going after transgender people to going after people with disabilities; from harming all those affected by the federal aid spending freeze (even if he rescinded it after much public pressure) to immigrants; to all those affected by what the administration is doing to USAID; and likely many other groups this paragraph doesn’t even mention—there are many opportunities to speak up, and many opportunities to speak out.
And yet, while it’s important to not be silent, the rate at which injustices are being committed is, frankly, exhausting. And often too much to keep up with.
So, where to even begin, and not get exhausted? Frankly, some of us at Gray Panthers NYC are still figuring it out. But I at least want to will this poem—which is inspired by Martin Niemöller’s poem—into reality for Americans in 2025:
They came for personal political enemies
May we be in solidarity with them
Because in a different life, some of us could be that enemy
And some of us are that enemy
And they came for undocumented immigrants
May we be in solidarity with them
Because in a different life, some of us could be an undocumented immigrant
And some of us are undocumented immigrants
And they came for LGBTQ individuals
May we be in solidarity with them
Because in a different life, some of us could be LGBTQ
And some of us are LGBTQ
And they came for people with disabilities
May we be in solidarity with them
Because in a different life, some of us could have a disability
And some of us have disabilities
And they came after DEI hires
May we be in solidarity with them
Because in a different life, some of us could be DEI hires
And some of us are DEI hires
When they come after a group of people
May we be in solidarity with them
Because in a different life, the people they are going after could be us
And sometimes, we are the very people they are going after