Reworking the Martin Niemoller quote for present day

[NJmaverick]

FIRST THEY CAME FOR...

First they came for the Homosexuals
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Homosexual.
Then they came for the Muslims
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Muslim.
Then they came for the poor
and I did not speak out
because I was not poor.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

[Bellamia]

1. Original Quote???

Can you post it? Your re-working would mean more if the original was known. Was it posted already and I missed it? Thanks :>)

[NJmaverick]

2. In reference to Nazi Germany

FIRST THEY CAME FOR THE JEWS - MARTIN NIEMOLLER

First they came for the Jews
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Jew.
Then they came for the Communists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a Communist.
Then they came for the trade unionists
and I did not speak out
because I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for me
and there was no one left
to speak out for me.

[BrotherBuzz]

4. Niemöller's original version had a different priority

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.

-Pastor Martin Niemöller, 1945

  When Time magazine used the quotation, they moved the Jews to the first place and dropped both the communists and the social democrats. Al Gore liked to quote the lines, but dropped the trade unionists for good measure. Gore and Time also added Roman Catholics, who weren't on Niemöller's list at all. In the heavily Catholic city of Boston, Catholics were added to the quotation inscribed on its Holocaust memorial. The US Holocaust Museum drops the Communists but not the Social Democrats; other versions have added homosexuals.

I think the original was written by Mr. Anonymous, but as Reverand Al Sharpton used to say, "It's all good".

[loftycity]

3. I think you should put women or the poor in there.

Our rights are going right out the window..