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by Brad WarbianySophie Scholl was a member of the Nazi youth resistance movement called the White Rose in the early 1940s. She was caught distributing anti-war leaflets, tried, and executed. But it seems that she considers her fight more important than her eventual fate:
“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, honour, 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.”
There’s a lot to be said about that quote — and I haven’t figured out how to say it. It seems to give one both courage to do what is right, and shame for not doing enough at the same time. So for now, I’ll let it speak for itself.
Feel free to add your thoughts in the comments.
Hat Tip: The Austrian Economists
Die Gedanken Sind Frei, man…
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Die_Gedanken_sind_frei
It was a favorite song of Sophie’s. More food for thought.
Comment by SC — March 3, 2009 @ 9:15 amAS I said on my blog regarding Pete’s posting of the Sophie Scholl quote: Will our disgust and outrage over what is happening only be manifested in posting to our blogs and the occassional letter-to-the-editor? I’ve got one question for everyone who reads this and thinks what the government is doing is wrong, “What are you planning on doing about it?” Because if you know, let me in on it because I don’t have a clue. I would hope in 20 years when my children (or any future grandchildren) ask, “What did you do to prevent this?” I will be able to say something other than, “I wrote a blog.”
Comment by lewis — March 3, 2009 @ 9:15 amLewis,
I know how you feel… That was the “shame” portion of this. While our actions are not much different from Sophie’s, i.e. political activism, I would say that none of us are in danger of her fate in modern America. It makes what we are doing seem less important than what she did, and I’m sure that many bloggers would quit if they truly feared for their safety.
I’m still trying to figure it out. I think the key is to figure out a way to stop paying taxes. If you really want to fight the beast, the first step is to stop feeding it. But in the corporate American atmosphere, I don’t know of any way to extricate myself from the system enough to hide my income.
Comment by Brad Warbiany — March 3, 2009 @ 12:33 pm