Laws just or unjust may govern mens actions. Tyrannies may restrain or regulate their words. The machinery of propaganda may pack their minds with falsehood and deny them truth for many generations of time. But the soul of man thus held in trance or frozen in a long night can be awakened by a spark coming from God knows where and in a moment the whole structure of lies and oppression is on trial for its life.
As nightfall does not come at once neither does oppression. In both instances theres a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged and it is in such twilight that we must be aware of change in the air however slight lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.
It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
What should move us to action is human dignity: the inalienable dignity of the oppressed but also the dignity of each of us. We lose dignity if we tolerate the intolerable.
A desire to resist oppression is implanted in the nature of man.
Laws just or unjust may govern mens actions. Tyrannies may restrain or regulate their words. The machinery of propaganda may pack their minds with falsehood and deny them truth for many generations of time. But the soul of man thus held in trance or frozen in a long night can be awakened by a spark coming from God knows where and in a moment the whole structure of lies and oppression is on trial for its life.
No other offense has ever been visited with such severe penalties as seeking to help the oppressed.
As nightfall does not come at once neither does oppression. In both instances theres a twilight where everything remains seemingly unchanged and it is in such twilight that we must be aware of change in the air however slight lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness.
People need hard times and oppression to develop psychic muscles.
It is from numberless diverse acts of courage and belief that human history is shaped. Each time a man stands up for an ideal or acts to improve the lot of others or strikes out against injustice he sends forth a tiny ripple of hope and crossing each other from a million different centers of energy and daring those ripples build a current that can sweep down the mightiest walls of oppression and resistance.
What should move us to action is human dignity: the inalienable dignity of the oppressed but also the dignity of each of us. We lose dignity if we tolerate the intolerable.
Without charm there can be no fine literature as there can be no perfect flower with-out fragrance.