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“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of
our friends.” With these incisive words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
diplomatically expressed his frustration with the prevailing silent acquiescence
and tacit consent to America’s egregious discrimination against people of
color. Like his mentor, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King was assassinated, but both
men will live forever in the pantheon of human dignity, civil rights, and social
justice. Let’s hope that their exemplary acts of selfless, courageous pacifism
will inspire all of us to appropriate levels of moral outrage and activism.
The Holocaust was a time of contrasts. There was evil and good, cowardice and
courage, and silence and protest. Although the net effect was death and
devastation, the courageous protests will live on forever. Some of the greatest
acts were those of the Righteous Gentiles, who risked and even sacrificed their
lives to fight Nazism and thwart its genocidal motives. The world will never
forget the great work of Oskar Schindler, Corrie Ten Boom, Raoul Wallenberg,
and Sophie and Hans Scholl of the White Rose, all of whom, along with many
others, have been memorialized in history and the Holocaust Museum.
Pacifism, Not Passivism
“In the end, we will remember not the words of our enemies, but the silence of
our friends.” With these incisive words, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
diplomatically expressed his frustration with the prevailing silent acquiescence
and tacit consent to America’s egregious discrimination against people of
color. Like his mentor, Mahatma Gandhi, Dr. King was assassinated, but both
men will live forever in the pantheon of human dignity, civil rights, and social
justice. Let’s hope that their exemplary acts of selfless, courageous pacifism
will inspire all of us to appropriate levels of moral outrage and activism.
Competing interests:
None declared
Competing interests: No competing interests