First they came for the birth certificate, and I did not speak out—

     Because no one’s gonna ask me for mine.

Then they came for the open Supreme Court seat, and I did not speak out—

     Because we’re going to need the courts.

Then they came for children at the border, and I did not speak out—

     Because my children are safe.

Then they came for voting rights, and I did not speak out—

     Because minority rule kind of works for me. 

Then they came for the rule of law, and I did not speak out—

Because laws are for the little people.

Then they came for public health, and I did not speak out—

     Because I have great healthcare.

Then they came for truth, and I did not speak out—

     Because conspiracies and lies have become my lifeblood.

Then they came for democracy, and I did not speak out—

     Because with my money and power, democracy isn’t really a must have. 

Then they came for America—and there was nothing left to speak out for.

— Adapted from original by Martin Niemöller.

Important note: This adaptation in no way seeks to suggest any kind of equivalence between the Holocaust (the subject of the original poem) and our present situation. The form was borrowed here for its power to say something about accountability and responsibility.