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