Be awake!

(A short story about common sense and civil courage.)

Young law students are gathered in a lecture room of their university.

Ready to learn their first lesson - and it's gonna be a true life lesson.

The professor enters and takes a look around.

"You there, second desk. Blue jacket. What is your name?" he asks a student.

"My name is Alexis."

"Please leave my lecture room. I don't want to see you at one of my lectures ever again."

Everyone is quiet.

The student is irritated.

"I don't understand."

"I am not going to ask a second time. Thank you."

The student packs her things, gets up silently and leaves the hall.

The other students are speechless too.

Quite shaken not to say shocked.

They stare at the professor who looks at them attentively.

"Why are there laws?" he asks the group.

Still, nobody dares to speak.

Everyone looks at the others.

"What are laws for?" the professor asks again.

"Social order." someone says hesitantly.

"To protect a person's personal rights." Another student says.

A third replies.

"So that you can rely on the state."

The professor is not satisfied.

"Justice!" calls out a student.

The professor gives her a warm, encouraging smile.

"Thank you very much. Did I behave unfairly towards your classmate earlier?"

Everyone nods.

"Indeed I did. Why didn't anyone protest?

Why didn't any of you try to stop me?

Why didn't you want to prevent this injustice?" he asks.

Silence.

"What you just learned you wouldn't have understood in 1,000 hours of lectures if you hadn't lived it.

You didn't say anything just because you weren't affected yourself.

This attitude speaks against you and against life. You think as long as it doesn't concern you, it's none of your business.

I'm telling you, if you don't say anything today and don't bring about justice, then one day you too will experience injustice and no one will stand before you.

Justice lives through us all.

We have to fight for it. In life and at work, we often live next to each other instead of with each other.

We console ourselves that the problems of others are none of our business.

We go home and are glad that we were spared. But it's also about standing up for others.

Every day an injustice happens in business, in sports or on the tram.

Relying on someone to sort it out is not enough. It is our duty to be there for others.

Speaking for others when they cannot.

I am here to teach you the power of your voice.

I want you to learn criticial thinking

to empower you to stand up for what is right even if it means going against what everyone else is doing.

Let's begin."

Based upon a post by Joerg Storm and a short film by Chiara Gizzi.

palatinewolfsblog

"It is an old experience that someone who has taken a wrong path for a long time will continue on this path to the end. Which shows that the old saying "resist the beginnings" will always remain true." Golo Mann.

palatinewolfsblog

"In order to maintain a tolerant society, the society must be intolerant of intolerance." This is the so-called tolerance paradox of the philosopher Karl Popper. In other words, when a tolerant society tolerates intolerant worldviews, that is not just the end of tolerance. Ultimately it's the end of this society...

#thought of the day #tought of today #karl popper #tolerance #intolerance #totalitarianism #paradox #the paradox of tolerance #society #common sense #social contract #lessons of history #life lessons #think about it #what matters #the time is now

palatinewolfsblog

"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." Nelson Mandela

palatinewolfsblog

“For me, I am driven by two main philosophies:

Know more today about the world than I knew yesterday

and lessen the suffering of others.

You'd be surprised how far that gets you.”

Neil deGrasse Tyson.

palatinewolfsblog

Authority vs. Conscience...

I heard this story once about a teacher who took a fish out of its bowl & left a classroom of children as it flopped around.. telling them that if anyone left their seat, they would be expelled. All of the children sat and watched as this fish flopped gasping for air, not wanting to get up in order to avoid getting in trouble. Finally, a girl sprang up from her seat & ran to the fish, placing it back in the bowl. Ultimately, she was the only one who refused to watch the fish die.

When the teacher returned he told the class that this was a lesson. That the fear of getting in trouble should never stop you from doing what's right. That sometimes.. you may have to oppose authority & group think, simply because it's the right thing to do.

I think of this often. U.N. Owen

palatinewolfsblog reblogged

Chanukah 1932

"It was on a Friday afternoon right before Shabbat that this photo was taken. My grandmother realized that this was a historic photo, and she wrote on the back of the photo that ‘their flag wishes to see the death of Judah, but Judah will always survive, and our light will outlast their flag.’ My grandfather, the rabbi of the Kiel community, was making many speeches, both to Jews and Germans. To the Germans he warned that the road they were embarking on was not good for Jews or Germans, and to the Jews he warned that something terrible was brewing, and they would do well to leave Germany. My grandfather fled Germany in 1933, and moved to Israel. His community came to the train station to see him off, and before departed he urged his people to flee Germany while there’s still time.” - Yehudah Mansbuch

Written on the back of the photo: “Chanukah, 5692. ‘Judea dies’, thus says the banner. ‘Judea will live forever’, thus respond the lights”.

Today, both the Posner family’s menorah and the photograph are on permanent display in the Yad Vashem Holocaust History Museum. But each year, the menorah is returned to the family for one week when Rachel and Akiva’s descendants continue to light the Hanukkah candles using the same menorah that was brought to Israel from Kiel 90 years ago.

underthewingsofthblackeagle

Over the last 4000 years different nations tried to erase the eternal truth of Genesis 12: 1- 2:

“The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

“I will make you into a great nation,

and I will bless you;

I will make your name great,

and you will be a blessing.

I will bless those who bless you,

and whoever curses you I will curse;

and all peoples on earth

will be blessed through you."

They never were victorious and they never will. But that will not allow you and me to be silent, when and wherever anti-Semitism arises its ugly face. We are responsible and we will be held accountable.

palatinewolfsblog

"Chanukkah - because one small light can push away a lot of darkness."

Rabbi Schneur Zalman of Liadi.

palatinewolfsblog

Give yourself the same care and attention that you give to others and watch yourself bloom.

U.N. Owen. ;)

palatinewolfsblog

“Striving for truth and beauty is a sphere in which we are allowed to stay children throughout life.”

Albert Einstein

Motto of another great Mural by Herakut in Playa Vista / Los Angeles.

palatinewolfsblog reblogged

hoppehoppereiter

buckhead1111

palatinewolfsblog

Learn your lessons... 🐺👍

#art #photo art #photo aesthetic #keith richards #life lessons #keep learning #getting older #be well #work #keep in touch #experience #man #cool #like a rolling stone #thinking about life #think

palatinewolfsblog

You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time.

Abraham Lincoln

#quote #quote of today #abraham lincoln #fool #people #time #lessons #life lessons #honesty #no bullsh!t #us #usa #usa today

palatinewolfsblog

"Children need to get a high-quality education, avoid violence and the criminal-justice system, and gain jobs. But they deserve more. We want them to learn not only reading and math but fairness, caring, self-respect, family commitment, and civic duty."

Colin Powell