Lesons from History

In 1961, a magnificent film was produced staring Spencer Tracey, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark and even a young William Shatner called "Judgement at Nuremburg."

In this film, the decisions by the Germans (and ultimately by Americans concerned with the Soviet menace facing Berlin in 1948), are weighed.

The most poignant and eloquent part of this movie, as with many courtroom dramas, was at the reading of the verdict.

In the reading, the judge (Spencer Tracy), says the following (paraphased/remembered as well as I can)...

"When the hands of our enemies are at our throats, it is easy to say 'save us by any means.' To this I say, 'Save what?!"

A country is not a rock. A country is defined by what it stands for, by what it stands for when standing for something is the hardest. Let it be known that we stand for this, for Justice, for Truth, and for the value of one single human life."

After the reading, a US Army Officer said, "He (the judge), just doesn't understand."

In the end, clearly, it is we who must understand the truth, or like the officer, fail.

In seeking to preserve "liberty", if we sacrifice justice, we keep nothing. I ask you to consider this when you consider whether it's appropriate to strip thousands of the right to vote to "protect us" from supposed voter fraud, whether to "presever" economic liberty, it's right or just to ask the poorest to live with less and less, and whether in the eyes of God, providence or whomever you pray to, whether it is right to deny people the right to counsel and a fair trial. It might "save" us, but is what is left worth saving? It is easy to turn a blind-eye, far harder to stand for something unpopular. Which person will you be?