Quotation

Quote by Martin Niemöller

First they came for the socialists, and I did not speak out—because I was not a socialist.

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Understanding this quote

The speaker admits staying silent when socialists were targeted because he did not belong to that group. The line presents this silence as a warning: refusing to speak when others are attacked simply because their situation seems unrelated can leave injustice unchallenged. “First” also suggests this may be the beginning of a wider pattern.

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United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, Holocaust Encyclopedia
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