This is true, mostly because too many people can't imagine they could become identified as part of a target group. Failure of imagination can be fatal.
I can't afford to wait for the less marginalized to come to my defense. There's a game I used to play in the army called Mafia & I learned that sometimes you have to save yourself before you can save others. First they came for the trans people, and since I'm trans that means me, but I was too busy
I guess, if "self-protection" is the goal. Altruism without thought of self-benefit is more pure.But to be honest, almost any form of not-self-thinking is better than what we are left with right now.
There's a balance that has to be maintained. It's ok to selflessly sacrifice for other people but at what cost? If I sacrifice Y to help Z, will I still be available to help others when needed? Think in terms of being homeless while needing to support a child with your ex. First, stabilize yourself
Everyone understands that interpretation of the poem, it's just that one group of people thinks "oh no they are coming for the pedophile rapist con-men! We better support those guys or they'll be coming for us racist misogynist greedheads next!"
Your interpretation of Rev. Moeller's quote is, I think, the message he intended to send to us. It may sound like a regret by him but I've always seen it as a warning to later generations: protect the marginalized people or you will share their fate.
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Cooperation is civilized behavior.
Even now I'm trying I can't see any other meaning to it.