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Kendall Hodge- Following the crowd makes it so that people may not have their own a say in things because they believe that they should just keep going with what other people think rather than interfering with what they know isn't right. I do think the author failed to speak up since others did not because he probably thought that oh it's not my problem so I don't have to worry about it as did many others. I think there is a small chance that the narrator would have spoke up if others did but then again he could be in his on world thinking that its not his problem so he doesn't have to say anything.

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Emaan Keekeebhai- He did not speak up what was wrong due to the reason everyone also stayed quiet. the narrator kept quite so then everyone else would too.   although I thought he would and exa please is if something happened with two friends and one was witnessing the wouldn't help due to the fact it wasn't their problem.

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@قِطَةُ اَلبَطيخِ May

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@قِطَةُ اَلبَطيخِ May

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Hayden Wilson: Individuals that follow the crowd are affecting others and themselves, people tend to follow others rather than speak up for themselves. The narrator failed to speak up for themselves because they were afraid of what others would think or if they would be ¨wrong¨. The narrator probably would´ve protested if others did because that´s what most people do when they don´t want to feel uncomfortable which leads to dependence and inability to come up with there own opinion. Niemoller writes ¨because I was not a Jew they came for me¨(Niemoller). He should´ve spoken up because he was different and someone else could´ve agreed or spoken up with him too.

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Malik Brown: Following the crowd allows for victims to suffer, it allows for horrible events like this to go on, and eventually it can lead to it happening to you which occurred in this situation. I think the narrator failed to speak up not because others did not, rather because the things that were taking place didn't directly effect him in any way, therefore he showed indifference towards the victims. This is shown when he explained, "And I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist" (Niemoller). This went on for all the different people who were arrested that didn't have connection to him. Lastly, I do think the narrator would have protested the arrests if others had because it's strength in numbers when it comes to protesting and they would be harder to take down compared to if he was to protest by himself.

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Valerie Martinez - Following the crowd allows for the abuser to continue with what they are doing, and when no one does anything to stop them, the suffering of the victims doesn't stop. Follwing the crowd gives more power to the oppressor, and magnifies the victim's distress. Even when a certain situation does not affect one, if what someone is doing is wrong, it is their responsibility to speak out against it. While I think it might have helped if others spoke up, I don't think the narrator would have spoken up if others did. As the narrator said, "And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Jew". This shows that the reason the author didn't speak out was because the event did not affect him, not because other people were staying silent. Due to this fact, I think that the only thing that would have changed their actions would be if the events affected them.

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Jason Durkee - In this case following the majority (crowd) was a detrimental decision for the author, as it enabled the persecution of others, and in effect the authors own persecution. The poem shows the effect's of following the crowd blindly and how the inaction of others allowed for everyone's inaction. Perhaps if someone had spoken up - and someone had listened - the situation would have been very different, and perhaps the narrator would have fought back, but the text reflects the lesson of the person who wrote it. It's a lesson that teaches about staying silent in oppression, and if the author could do it all over I think they would fight back for their second chance.

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Spike O'Carroll - Following the crowd is dangerous and can come back to effect you and those you love. By not standing up for others, you encourage their pain and think only of yourself. This applies to injustice but also choosing leaders; by not voting, you are voting. Niemoller reflects on his former actions with regret and uses his powerful writing and repetition to encourage readers not to make his mistake. He states he did not fight for Jews "Because I was not a Jew" (Niemoller 1). He thought only of himself and realized that if more people had empathy and fought for others unlike him, then he may not have been taken away.

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Bijan Ahrablou- In this case, following the crowd means being indifferent, and being indifferent allows for others to be oppressed. Martin Niemoller states, "Then they came for me / And there was no one left / To speak out for me" (Niemoller). Thus, following the crowd resulted in his own suffering.  I think that Martin Niemoller failed to speak up mainly because others did not, but also because he was not a part of the groups that were being oppressed. Niemoller states, "First they came for the Communists / And I did not speak out / Because I was not a Communist" and repeats this, but involving different groups of people, 3 more times. This quote implies that he also was indifferent because he did not want to risk his life alone for groups that he was not a part of. Based on this, I think that the narrator might have protested the arrests if others had, but there is also a chance that he would not have protested the arrests.

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Ada Meighan-Thiel: Following the crowd prevents people from doing the right thing sometimes because most people do what is easy, rather than what is right. Following the lead of the masses (who often do the easy thing, not the right thing) leads you to not thinking and acting for yourself. Dissent is essential in a functional society where people have the courage to speak out when things are not right and make sure that they are improved. However, speaking out against injustice is hard to do when you are following the leads of others that often blindly accept it. I think the narrator failed to speak up because others did not, so therefore being the only one giving a voice to the voiceless sounds like a much more daunting task. I think the narrator also failed to speak up because speaking up is right, but definitely not easy, and we as people sometimes gravitate towards easier actions. I think the narrator might have protested if others did because it is more convenient and there is strength in numbers. For example, after the murder of George Floyd, there was a wave of activism from people who weren't necessarily activists before, as well as workplaces and professional sports leagues changing their policies around protesting. Without the mass movement and power that these past few months have had, not as many people would have spoken out. To be more specific with performative activism on instagram, the number of people posting online about injustice continued to grow because there was no longer a great barrier to break for gathering the courage to speak out when everyone around you is doing it.

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Raquel Ruiz- The effects of following the crowd are detrimental since it's not helping anyone due to the fact that those people are afraid about what others think if they do something differently. In addition, following the crowd may seem like one is doing the right thing but at the end of the day, just like the narrator, "There was no one left to speak out for me" (Niemoller line 14-15). Consequently, the narrator was afraid about what others might think if he stood up for those being persecuted and oppressed. the narrator didn't want to speak up because the crowds didn't either. They either just stood there and watched it all happen or bashed and supported those being brought down by the oppressors. He would've done the opposite if the crowd started to protest because then he would be able to see that he's not the only one who thinks differently about all that happened. Unfortunately, our human nature doesn't think it's right for us to speak out and defend something that many others think of in another way. We start feeling scared and start thinking about what others might think if we do things differently. But, at the end of the day we have to analyze the situations beforehand and think who could we possibly be helping out if we did speak up. We have to think about that before it's too late just like it was for the narrator.

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The effect of following the crowd always leads to the suffering of the victims and it also causes injustice to take place. I believe the narrator failed to speak up because he wasn’t the one who was getting impacted by the torture and suffering he states that “ 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.” (Niemoller) This shows that he wasn’t speaking up because of his indifference and the fact that he was not one suffering. This event reminded me of the quote “What goes around comes around” (Crump) because at first, he was the one who was ignoring the fact that people were getting tortured without any cause, and when his time came there was no one who spoke for him.

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The effect of following the crowd always leads to the suffering of the victims and it also causes injustice to take place. I believe the narrator failed to speak up because he wasn’t the one who was getting impacted by the torture and suffering he states that “ 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.” (Niemoller) This shows that he wasn’t speaking up because of his indifference and the fact that he was not one suffering. This event reminded me of the quote “What goes around comes around” (Crump) because at first, he was the one who was ignoring the fact that people were getting tortured without any cause, and when his time came there was no one who spoke for him.

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Thomas Brandt - There is definitely some truth to the sentiment that following the crowd is often the easiest and most dangerous thing to do. If we look at historical events mainly geared towards racism, such as the civil rights movement in America, it was so easy for white people to go with the crowd and continue to support racism as it had been so mainstream and popularized for so long. It was a tough but necessary decision for white people to wake up and to realize the cruelty of their beliefs.In the context of our poem, had the other people protested the arrests, the narrator likely would have too, because now this idea had been normalized and it would have been unusual had he not stood against them. On the other hand Martin Niemöller in "First they came..." clearly repeats, "I did not speak out — Because I was not..." This phrase emphasizes to the reader the use of "I" and that the author was making it clear that they didn't step up to support the discriminated groups. Many people blame it on the general population, but in the end it is a conscious decision on an individual level and that is the message that Martin Niemöller wanted to send to his readers. Someone must be the seed to social change, it it just a matter of someone taking initiative and stepping up.

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Josie Peinemann- In context of this poem, following the crowd can leave vulnerable groups of people without support, and doesn't put a stop to problems that may be happening. I think that the narrator failed to speak up because the Nazis coming for other groups of people didn't affect him, so he turned a blind eye. The first example of this happening was when the Nazis "came for the Communists, but [he] did not speak out" (Niemoller line 2). This happened once again when the targeted groups were the Socialists and the Jews.I'm sure that the Communists, Socialists, and Jews fought back and attempted to not be taken to some degree, but that was on a completely different level of existence than Niemoller at the time. I believe that if more of the crowd had spoken up and more people in his same situation had, he might have turned against the Nazis sooner.

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In the context of the the quotation,  the effects of following a crowd can result in very terrible outcomes for not only the group but those surrounding them. For example in Wiesel’s situation, he is not affiliated with any group and is merely a bystander of all the other groups being taken away. Then eventually he too is taken, due to him being in his group. It safe to say that any group the narrator  would have been in during this war he most likely would still have went to a concentration camp and suffered. Another downside to being in a group is that if one person fails, they are all looked down upon. The narrator didn’t speak out because he feared that he would be taken, however he eventually was anyways. Wiesel would probably have spoken up a bit if others had complained about what happened to these groups, he probably would have said something but not much due to the Germans being so powerful. This is similar to Amir in the Kite Runner, where he sees Hassan getting beat up, but does nothing due to him not wanted to risk his own life. Similarly, the author of this novel was most likely scared and fearful of the Germans taking his life.

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Chloe Bohlmann: In the context of the quotation, the effects of following the crowd show the ones who act as bystanders at first, which leads to their own downfall. Following the crowd brings light on the people who don't act out or help others because they are not the ones being targeted. Choosing to follow the crowd is choosing to be ignored at the same time, if you're not standing up/helping others, it's most likely you either will not have anyone to stand up for you. I think if people would have spoken up, the author still would have decided to lay low. If the narrator was truly following the crowd, it's possible he would have protested if others were; in this situation, he seems more of a bystander to me, I think he would not have helped since he wasn't the one that had to go. The author seemed not to care the slightest when others were being taken, he simply was a bystander who did not care "because [he] was not"(Niemoller, line 3) being affected. He seemed to purposefully watch others go by and slowly, one by one, get taken away. This quote shows that, because he wasn't part of the community being affected, it didn't matter to him. That the others had been targeted; as long as he was fine, he didn't need to do anything about it.

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Michella Delgado:  In the context of this poem, when one follows the crowd, there is an effect of indifference towards the targets because people felt it was much easier to stand by and let them keep suffering rather than to speak up and defend them from the Nazi Germans. In his poem, Niemoller writes, “and I did not speak out- because I was not a Socialist...a Trade Unionist...a Jew”. This reveals that since outsiders, including himself, weren’t being affected by the Nazis, they failed to speak up and ignored the difficult situations others went through. I think Niemoller didn’t speak his mind because he felt his one voice would be unimportant and might not make a change if others didn’t speak up and support him as well. If others had protested he probably would as well because there is strength and support in large numbers, and there could be enough people to prevent possible consequences.

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Parker Lanum: In this text we see the consequences of following others–injustice continues without objection until it is too late. The narrator failed to speak up because the narrator and others like them were unable to muster the courage to speak out for others who needed it. If a movement against the arrests had begun, I do believe the narrator would have raised their voice since they honestly believed that what was happening was wrong. Countless examples of  similar occurrences are visible in everyone's lives each day. At many times, one will see something blatantly wrong in the world around them but hold their thoughts and remain silent without the courage to protest.

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Dashiell Reynaldo- This short quote demonstrates that the effects of following the crowd is people not speaking up against what is wrong, because no one else is. The narrator obviously didn't speak up because others didn't, but I also think it was because what was happening did not directly affect him, yet if others did speak up, I would assume he would have joined them. Some evidence from my personal experience is when a teacher had messed up something for one student by accident, yet no one spoke out because their peers weren't and also the problem wasn't directly affecting them.

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Following the crowd results in power, however, that power is geared towards a singular objective. In the context of the quotation, Niemoller followed the crowd by not speaking against the injustices dealt by the Nazis, which resulted in more injustices towards more people, and finally Niemoller himself. I think Niemoller, the author, failed to speak up in part because others did not, but mostly because he wasn't directly affected by the injustices. I do not believe that the narrator would have protested the arrest if others had because his actions in the text reveal that his reasoning for not acting was because he "was not a Communist...Socialist...Jew"(Niemoller). Niemoller believed that he wouldn't be arrested because he wasn't one of the groups of people arrested, which reveals that his actions were based on a personal belief that every man should primarily serve their own best interests. He would not speak out against the injustices, even with a group of others, because in doing so would put himself in danger of being arrested which goes against his personal belief.

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Sandra Barry - Following the crowd allows those in the majority to do whatever they want with little to no regard on how it affects others. I don't think not being able to speak in a group was the reason as to why he didn't speak up because in the poem he uses the words: i was not a ___. He didn't speak up because he believed in the everyone for himself mentality. it's very difficult to stand up for people we don't have much connection to even if we live close to them. When you hear that that family member of someone you don't know has passed away you feel sympathetic and then you move on with your day. If a close family member or the family member of a close friend passed away people feel much more emotional for a much longer time. That's why I don't think he would have protested if others had.

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Sofia Healy: The effects of following the crowd lead to the suffering of other groups that weren't him, or what he identified with, he knew the events taking place were wrong, along with everyone around him knew but everyone stayed silent including him. I think the narrator failed to speak up because others did not because it is hard to be the first person to speak up and let yourself be vulnerable especially if the narrator was not certain of the support he may or may not have gotten. I think if he had witnessed other people protesting he would have joined in because he knew it was wrong and seeing other people fight it would give him a safer feeling when speaking up. In the quote he repeats several times that he "did not speak out Because I was not" whichever group was being victimized at the time (Niemoller). This demonstrates his failure to unionize himself with the other victims and continue to separate themselves preventing him from speaking out against the events taking place.

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If one follows the crowd you are not yourself. When is a follower they become sucked into society trying to act normal yet there is no normal. Following the crowd and staying silents makes the victims suffer like in the poem. Even if the problem doesn't involve you, you should still help because wouldn't you want help if there was a problem that involved you. "Then they came for me, An there was no one left, To speak out for me"(Niemoller). If he had stepped out of the crowd and helped others maybe someone would have helped him. This is a prime example of don't be a follower if one decided to be a leader they could of helped all of them out. If one is a follower then they lose themselves, they lose their part as being different and become a robot. We need more leaders in our world for people can follow their footsteps and be there own person.

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Angelica Johnson: In the context of the quotation, the effects of following the crowd are that the ones who follow don't get anything in return. The effects of following the crowd create situations like the one in this poem to escalate into something that it shouldn't. People should look out for each other and help others when needed, but when they follow the crowd, they are only harming themselves because it gives others more reason to ignore you and your needs. I believe that the narrator failed to speak up because others did not and also since the issue didn't directly affect him at the time. I also think that the narrator failed to speak up because he states in his poem "And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew" (Niemoller lines 11-12). This quote helps explain the fact that the narrator did not speak out because he was not a Jew, so he chose to ignore the problem that wasn't his. However, I do believe that the narrator would have protested the arrests if others had because then he would have had the motive and reason to speak up. I think that deep down, the narrator wanted to speak up, but he was scared to do so because he was worried about the outcome if he had chosen to speak out. The narrator explains this regret when he states, "Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me" (Niemoller lines 13-15). It truly depends on the kindness of others and if they choose to care or not when it comes to dangerous situations like these because sometimes, people need help from those who are around them. Like my Mom always says, 'Be kind to others, and they will be kind to you.'

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Maccabee Veder:   Following the crowd gives the oppressor more power. Because no one was fighting against them, the oppressor was able to continue to go after the many multiple races, cultures, or beliefs he did not support. The longer people followed the crowd, the more jews, socialists, and trade unionists were captured, and the persecutor only gained more power. The more power the tyrant received, the fewer people were willing to stand up against them. There is this idea that following the crowd will protect you, but in reality, there is always a risk to following the crowd like the author explained by saying "They came for me and there was no one left to speak out for me". I think the narrator, along with many others, did not speak up out of fear, they knew they did not have nearly as much power or force as the oppressor did, and by speaking out all they were doing was risking incarceration, or death. If there was a significant amount of people protesting, meaning there was no chance the Nazis could kill and incarcerate anyone since there were too many, I believe the narrator would have, but it would have taken all of Germany to protest in order to be able to defeat the Nazis, and that would have never happened.

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Ally Shim: Following the crowd is common but dangerous because it further silences all the other voices outside the crowd, making those voices fade away into nothing. Following the crowd leads to indifference, allowing the leaders of said crowd to continue whatever abuse they are doing to the people outside. The narrator was failed to speak up due to fear, and if more people spoke up, there is a larger chance that he would have spoken up, since a larger force is less vulnerable than someone on their own. Others supporting you is empowering, and more people elicits a greater response to the oppressors. This is seen throughout history in instances of the denial of genocides and bloodbaths. For example, during the Cambodian genocide, Western nations claimed that the genocide was "pure exaggeration" and that it wasn't that bad. America, for instance, at first denied the atrocities and later acknowledged it, but never took a step in responding. Because there was little to no official international intervention by the US specifically but also from the West, 1.5-2 million people died. If leaders across the globe had stood up and done something, then perhaps a quarter of the Cambodian population could have been saved.

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Dylan Gabl-Following the crowd can be very dangerous and costly not only to others, but also to you. It can lead to death, and it is very selfish. This is shown when he said "And I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist". In the text, it is explained that everyone is being taken or killed, but the speaker isn't doing anything because it doesn't pertain to him. At the end of the poem, the cost of not speaking up is shown, when he says "Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me."

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Camryn Walker: Although following crowds and having a "popular" opinion is bad, it happens often. I think that the narrator was scared and since the problems did not directly effect him, there was no reason for him to put himself in danger. The last three lines in the poem sates, "Then they came for me And there was no one left to speak out for me". I think this line represents the fact that when the problems were not effecting him directly, he did not try and help so when he was being oppressed, the others who were not at the time did not stand up and speak out either. This connects to the essential question "How is empathy a seed of social action" because when one does not put aside their fears to help others or to show empathy then they will not receive empathy back when they really need it. If everyone stops following the crowds and popular opinions and we just stand up for what we think is right, it will impower others to do the same as well as plant he seed for social action.

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Leif Giardino - Following the crowd can be dangerous because it allows for one opinion, right or wrong, to out-rule anyone else's opinion causing lesser known opinions to be irrelevant. Following the crowd, just like Elie Wiesel said, makes every one indifferent meaning no one is thinking for themselves, therefore if the biggest opinion is un ethical then it causes the victims to suffer more. I believe one of the reasons the narrator didn't speak was because he had no one to back him up, basically, he was very vulnerable to being caught and taken away which was another reason he didn't speak up, the fear of the oppressor. If he had a big enough group of people that believed the same as him there is a much better chance he would have protested because there is strength in numbers so by having a crowd it would help him gain the confidence to do something seeing that he's not alone. Similar to wars, it's always a big group of people fighting, no one would ever go against an army alone.

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Following the crowd allows for victims to suffer, it allows for horrible events like this to go on, and eventually it can lead to it happening to you which occurred in this situation. I think the narrator failed to speak up not because others did not, rather because the things that were taking place didn't directly effect him in any way, therefore he showed indifference towards the victims. This is shown when he explained, "And I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist" (Niemoller). This went on for all the different people who were arrested that didn't have connection to him. Lastly, I do think the narrator would have protested the arrests if others had because it's strength in numbers when it comes to protesting and they would be harder to take down compared to if he was to protest by himself.

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First They Came....
By Martin Niemoller
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.