Silence in the midst of violence.....?

Niemöller's poem tells the story of Europe's refusal to stand up to the Nazis while they still had time:

When the Nazis came for the communists,
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.

When they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.

When they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.

When they came for the Jews,
I did not speak out;
I was not a Jew.

When they came for me, there was no one left to speak out.

(Martin Niemoller, a Lutheran pastor from Nazi Germany)