Sophie was just 21 years old when she was beheaded. We should all know her name, be inspired by her bravery, and honor her. Especially today, February 22, 2023, because it is precisely 80 years ago that the Nazis executed her for treason. I'm struck by the incredible courage of this young woman. Sophie Scholl's story is a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up against oppression and tyranny, despite overwhelming odds. Her legacy lives on as a shining example of the strength of the human spirit and the power of resistance against hate and injustice.
Sarah Kendzior is an author, researcher and anthroplogist I admire. She's been warning us for years. To reignite inspiration, I watch the video of her shaming Breitbart contributors during a conference. I recommend her books and podcast, Gaslit Nation.
Thank you for this reminder of the courageous Sophie Scholl as the anniversary of her death approaches. It’s good to read your excellent article of a year ago telling her story. We can never forget the heroes and heroines who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and democracy.
You honor Sophie with your words:
“Sophie … was courageously fighting for another kind of freedom, namely one where people are free from prosecution based on hate and discrimination; she wanted a society with freedom of media and the freedom to express your thoughts. She saw it as a prerequisite for democracy.
In short, she wanted freedom for others and was willing to sacrifice her life for our freedom.
How certain people define freedom is astonishing to me. Same in Switzerland with "Freiheit" or "liberté". Thank you for drawing our attention to Sophie and her story of heroism and resistance. Somebody on Twitter suggested I read Die weisse Rose (The white rose) - I might just do that.
Her story is also a reminder of what can happen when we leave things too long before we act. Certain patterns and behaviors should be stopped immediately, but as you said. It's difficult to do when a system is rotten to the core. There are a few of these around the globe. We don't seem to learn from past mistakes much.
Beautiful article! I think that just a few of us know what being free means. I was born in a Catholic country, and realized later in life that freedom is an optional when religious brainwashing starts at a tender age. But politics does the same. Socialism, fascism, communism are nothing but our obsession for identification and most of the time an excuse for arguing or fighting. We must belong somewhere. Science works the same way, when its “apostles” go far and beyond to prove that God doesn’t exist and that everything must be proved and experienced through our five senses, conveniently ignoring that we mostly perceive reality and have the sixth and seventh sense and more. There are events that not even science can explain. But the worst part is that we do not fight or embrace dangerous ideology, we stand up for sicknesses. Putin is a sadistic and violent psychopath who sent hundreds of his men to certain death and has caused thousands of deaths in his “career”, and yet I hear General Pompeo called him a “shrewd leader” and so did Trump and so did voters all over the world. We are not free because we don’t know what freedom is. The search for freedom is a painful process of shedding all the dead and heavy skin of our ancestors. Not everyone is up to the task. Most people will blame and take it on our leaders to fix things. The truth is that change starts from within and some of us don’t even know how to do it. Some will reject their religion or political view to embrace another one. Freedom is the most exquisite cake they will never taste.
A reminder of a fearless conscience for the integrity of values. An example to proclaim the fundamental right on which we must base our experiences and human condition. I leave one more name, to join the legacy in the same struggle and coherence: Mildred Harnack.*
And yes, there is a quote: "One person's freedom ends where another’s freedom begins." An underrated truth to be reinforced each day.
* All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebbeca Donner
Sarah Kendzior is an author, researcher and anthroplogist I admire. She's been warning us for years. To reignite inspiration, I watch the video of her shaming Breitbart contributors during a conference. I recommend her books and podcast, Gaslit Nation.
Thank you, Alex 🙏
Some interpretations of freedom are devastating!
Thank you for this reminder of the courageous Sophie Scholl as the anniversary of her death approaches. It’s good to read your excellent article of a year ago telling her story. We can never forget the heroes and heroines who made the ultimate sacrifice for freedom and democracy.
You honor Sophie with your words:
“Sophie … was courageously fighting for another kind of freedom, namely one where people are free from prosecution based on hate and discrimination; she wanted a society with freedom of media and the freedom to express your thoughts. She saw it as a prerequisite for democracy.
In short, she wanted freedom for others and was willing to sacrifice her life for our freedom.
How certain people define freedom is astonishing to me. Same in Switzerland with "Freiheit" or "liberté". Thank you for drawing our attention to Sophie and her story of heroism and resistance. Somebody on Twitter suggested I read Die weisse Rose (The white rose) - I might just do that.
Her story is also a reminder of what can happen when we leave things too long before we act. Certain patterns and behaviors should be stopped immediately, but as you said. It's difficult to do when a system is rotten to the core. There are a few of these around the globe. We don't seem to learn from past mistakes much.
Beautiful article! I think that just a few of us know what being free means. I was born in a Catholic country, and realized later in life that freedom is an optional when religious brainwashing starts at a tender age. But politics does the same. Socialism, fascism, communism are nothing but our obsession for identification and most of the time an excuse for arguing or fighting. We must belong somewhere. Science works the same way, when its “apostles” go far and beyond to prove that God doesn’t exist and that everything must be proved and experienced through our five senses, conveniently ignoring that we mostly perceive reality and have the sixth and seventh sense and more. There are events that not even science can explain. But the worst part is that we do not fight or embrace dangerous ideology, we stand up for sicknesses. Putin is a sadistic and violent psychopath who sent hundreds of his men to certain death and has caused thousands of deaths in his “career”, and yet I hear General Pompeo called him a “shrewd leader” and so did Trump and so did voters all over the world. We are not free because we don’t know what freedom is. The search for freedom is a painful process of shedding all the dead and heavy skin of our ancestors. Not everyone is up to the task. Most people will blame and take it on our leaders to fix things. The truth is that change starts from within and some of us don’t even know how to do it. Some will reject their religion or political view to embrace another one. Freedom is the most exquisite cake they will never taste.
A reminder of a fearless conscience for the integrity of values. An example to proclaim the fundamental right on which we must base our experiences and human condition. I leave one more name, to join the legacy in the same struggle and coherence: Mildred Harnack.*
And yes, there is a quote: "One person's freedom ends where another’s freedom begins." An underrated truth to be reinforced each day.
* All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days by Rebbeca Donner