“The real damage is done by those millions who want to ‘survive.’ The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves – or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you’ll keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits into tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe?! From what? Life is always on the edge of death; narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I choose my own way to burn.”
- Sophie Scholl
Excellent and seriously timely quote by a true heroine of liberty done in the midst of the nazi regime. Sophie, her brother and other members of the White Rose were executed by the Gestapo for distributing printed leaflets that did not support the nazi regime.
ReplyDeleteThe parallels to what's going on now with the msm, social media & others blacklisting and deplatforming non "woke" writings and discussions is frightening. We're steps away from that history repeating itself.
I wonder how many liberty minded folks will have the stones to step up like Sophie when needed to oppose the rise of tyranny here? I fear to many of us will choose "survive". I hope I am wrong about that.