Anne
Frank's Vision
“I see
the world being slowly transformed into a wilderness; I hear the
approaching thunder that, one day, will destroy us too. I feel
the suffering of millions. And yet, when I look up at the sky, I
somehow feel that everything will change for the better, that cruelty
too shall end, that peace and tranquility will return once more.”
Anne Frank
This is not the first
time the world has seen unmitigated cruelty. Anne Frank was right in
her vision of thunder engulfing the world as she knew it. We have
witnessed wars, uprisings, dictatorships, murderous gangs and
mercenaries who rape and kill for plunder. We are watching the
scourge of overdoses due to the proliferation of drugs in our
streets. We have seen injustice, slavery, lynching and human
trafficking. We have seen people tortured and killed because of the
color of their skin, their religion, or their sexual orientation. We have watched the
slaughter of entire species of animals for trophy and sport. Human
beings alone are capable of this level of cruelty. But as naïve as
it now seems, I stand with Anne Frank. I still believe in the better
angels of humanity. I believe that as bad as this moment in time
feels and is, it will change for the better—that human dignity,
and human mercy will prevail. Sometimes we have to look cruelty in
the face, and see it for what it is before we can change it.
Lucius Annaeus Seneca,
who lived from 4 BC until 65 AD, said simply, “All cruelty springs
from weakness.” Those who advocate cruelty and indifference with
regard to suffering and poverty, who believe that the earth, its
people and other living creatures exist to be plundered and pillaged,
who consider it their right to belittle and bully anyone they choose,
are weak in the extreme. When such people rise to positions of power,
those who depend upon them suffer. We have such a situation in
America right now, as do many other countries in the world.
As human beings, we must
realize first, that we've seen this before, and we know where it
leads. Secondly, we must choose whether we will follow our better
angels, or we will continue down a path of indifference and
self-serving. We must be willing to risk standing up, speaking out,
and fighting for the dignity of human compassion. We must demand it
from our leaders, and support those who exemplify the values of
shared responsibility, mercy, and benevolence. If we stand silent in
the face of cruelty, then we are participants in its outcome. I know
we are better than this.
In the Spirit,
Jane
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