First They Came... (Trump's Edition)

A fitting poem for the times... adapted to reflect what's going on now.

The Poem Itself

First they came for the transgenders
and I did not speak out
because I am not transgender.

Then they came for the migrants
and I did not speak out
because I am not a migrant.

Then they came for the federal workers
and I did not speak out
because I am not a federal worker.

And then they came for the disabled
and me, being part of them, felt powerless
as there was no one left
to speak for me.

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An Explanation

The original poem “First They Came…” came from the Lutheran pastor Martin Niemöller in Germany. It shows how certain groups were silent and complicit while the Nazi Party in Germany targeted various other groups, before reaching him.

In much the same way, the Trump administration is doing the same thing, striking one group of people at a time to advance their own agenda. They are doing so quickly, so as to overwhelm the populace with news and make it hard to follow what is going on.

The transgenders, arguably, were the first group targeted. One of the first actions done under the Trump administration was for the federal government to only recognize two sexes - and such distinction is determined at conception. Such order has also been extended to the military.

Migrants were another area that Trump has targeted through dedicated ICE raids which have ravaged through the country, including New York, New Jersey, and 10 other states. Such raids have even occurred in my backyard - such as this report of a restaurant owner in Amherst. Even documented immigrants are not safe from these. This has been exacerbated with calls to move migrants to Guantanamo within 30 days of 1/31.

In efforts to downsize the government and reduce spending, the White House offered incentives to full-time federal workers in efforts to get them to resign.

Now, I am not a transgender individual, nor am I a migrant or a federal worker. However, I am disabled, as I am autistic.

Trump has gone after the disabled population both indirectly and directly. On the same day as the executive order regarding sex, Trump signed an executive order to end all DEI programs within the federal government. This is quite vast, as it covers a wide range of people, including persons of color, disabled individuals, and women, amongst other individuals.

Shortly after a plane and helicopter collided in Washington, Trump criticized the Federal Aviation Administration, claiming that the FAA wanted people with severe disabilities, and that DEI policies were part of the reason the crash happened - which angered me quite a bit.

Now, with the other groups being embroiled in issues brought on Trump, we (the disabled) have to speak out on our own, as the other groups are not available to help us.

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