We Will Not Be Silent

We Will Not Be Silent

Juvenile nonfiction
"Sophie, perhaps the best writer in the family put it this way:
'I can never look at a limpid stream without at least dangling my feet
in it; in the same way, I cannot walk past a meadow in May...I lie in
the grass quite still, my knees raised, and am happy. Through the
blossoming branches of an apple tree I see the blue sky...when I turn
my head, it touches the rough trunk...I press my face to the tree's
dusky warm bark and think, 'My homeland,' and I am inexpressibly
grateful."
Sophie Scholl (21), Hans Scholl (24), and Cristoph Probst (23)
were beheaded by the Nazis for treason in 1943. The homeland Sophie
felt such deep love for had become a dark and dangerous place.
Probably only those capable of feeling such depths of love could put
their lives on the line as most people around them are paralyzed by
fear. Russell Freedman's We Will Not Be Silent: The White Rose
Student Resistance Movement That Defied Adolph Hitler (quoted above)
narrates a story of courage needed more now that probably ever before.
Adolph Hitler gained control of a defeated, destitute, and
demoralized nation. He convinced voters he was going to make Germany
great again. In fact Aryans were going to rule not just one nation,
but all of Europe. Those not swept away by his charisma were kept in
line by fear. The slightest criticism of the Fuhrer could result in a
death sentence.
The outlook was even bleaker for those deemed by Hitler to be
not fit to live. Jews were deprived of educations, ways of earning a
living, and even the most basic of rights. A horrific solution for
them and all others considered enemies of the Fuhrer or simply not
deserving of life (I.e., people with handicaps) was being
implemented. A large percentage of a generation was being sent to
their deaths in a ruthless war of conquest. I'm sure that to a lot of
decent Germans all seemed lost.
And then--
"In 1942, when World War II was in its third year, leaflets began to
appear mysteriously in mailboxes all over Nazi Germany. Someone would
open an envelope, pull out a leaflet, take one look, and glance around
nervously to make sure no one was watching. A person could not be too
careful. Anyone caught with a seditious leaflet was marked as an
enemy of the state and could land in a concentration camp or worse.
Neatly typed, run off on a mimeograph machine, those documents
were headed 'Leaflets of the White Rose.' They assailed the Nazi
'dictatorship of evil,' denounced Adolph Hitler as a liar and
blasphemer, and called on the German people to rise up and and
overthrow the Nazi regime.
Where were these inflamatory pamphlets coming from? Who was the
White Rose?..."
Well read the book and see!!! I highly recommend it, not only
to its target demographic, but to parents and grands and other adult
adults. Recall that those who don't learn from history are bound to
repeat it?
I found one quote in the book especially inspiring. German
Jewish poet Heinrich Heine (whose works were banned by Hitler) had
presciently said, "Where one burns books, one will, in the end, burn
people." (That's going in my quotes collection). In a similar vein, I
can't help fearing that the increased tolerance for vicious hate
speech on the Internet is enabling an increased tolerance for hate
acts against vulnerable minorities.
Lest we get too smug in regard to 1930's Germany, recall that at
the Nurenberg trials Nazis cited the US Supreme Court's decision in
Buck vs Bell and the eugenics movement behind it as justification for
their racial cleansing programs.
On a personal note, today is Joey cat's adoption day. Fourteen years
ago we welcomed a sweet little kitten into our home. It was the first
day of school for my kids. After school they and their friends waited
excitedly for his arrival. Fourteen years of loving companionship! I
am also pleased that my last weeks gamble is paying off. Last Monday
I wrestled the old broken recliner and bureau out of the studio and
brought in two small bureaus Katie gave me. Which involved massive
furniture moving in other parts of the house. The endeavor had a now
or never feel to it. Things are nearly back to normal in the rest of
the house and the studio looks even more awesome.
Tomorrow when you celebrate Labor Day remember it's more than a three
day weekend or chance to fire up the grill. Let it remind you of how
far we have to go to achieve a fair deal for the American worker.
A great big shout goes out to sweet Joey and all the other treasured
animal companions who give us their precious unconditional love.
jules hathaway


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