German Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller wrote his “First they came…” poem as an apology. He himself was part of “the silent complicity of German intellectuals and clergy” who said nothing as the Nazis began purging their chosen targets, group after group.
Some may think that the number of transgender children targeted in the GOP’s Project 2025 version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) is too small to worry about. However, Berlin’s trans and queer community, a tiny minority, were some of the first targets of the Nazis. Jews themselves were less than 0.75% of Germany’s population. Small as these groups were, their sacrifice was demanded – literally thrown into the fire – for what was described as the greater good of society.
Sen. Tammy Duckworth actually wrote an amendment to remove the transphobic language from the NDAA (see below), but she and some other signers ended up capitulating, making the mental calculation that the pay raise of the GOP version was worth sacrificing the equal protection of health care for an estimated 10,000 transgender children of service members. (Harm is already occurring. Crisis calls to the Trevor Project spiked 700% after Election Day!)
The Christian nationalists are starting their process of breaking us apart by focusing, as the Nazis did, on small minorities. We must decide if we will fight for what our Pledge of Allegiance says we are – “one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all,” – or to remain silent, like Niemöller did, until it is too late.
INDIVISIBLE VENTURA 