“It is institutions that help us to preserve decency. They need our help as well. Do not speak of ‘our institutions’ unless you make them yours by acting on their behalf. Institutions do not protect themselves. They fall one after the other unless each is defended from the beginning. So choose an institution you careContinue reading ““Defend institutions””
Tag Archives: history
Voting is like loving: vital, and not to be taken for granted
“ The hero of a David Lodge novel says that you don’t know, when you make love for the last time, that you are making love for the last time. Voting is like that. ” This quote from the book “On Tyranny” by Timothy Snyder is maybe the one that strikes me the most, theContinue reading “Voting is like loving: vital, and not to be taken for granted”
“Be wary of paramilitaries”
Quoting from Lesson #6 in the book “On Tyranny — Twenty lessons from the twentieth century” by Timothy Snyder (published in 2017): “ When the men with guns who have always claimed to be against the system start wearing uniforms and marching with torches and pictures of a leader, the end is nigh. When theContinue reading ““Be wary of paramilitaries””
“Do not obey in advance”
“Most of the power of authoritarianism is freely given. In times like these, individuals think ahead about what a repressive government will want, and then offer themselves without being asked. A citizen who adapts in this way is teaching power what it can do.” “Anticipatory obedience is a political tragedy. Perhaps rulers did not initiallyContinue reading ““Do not obey in advance””
“Martin Luther King shows us how to harness the immense power of the queer community”
“ Today we honor Martin Luther King, Jr., whose philosophy of nonviolent resistance is one any movement could look to for guidance. Nonviolent protest is a form of resistance that seeks to create social change by means of civil disobedience or political noncooperation while refraining from violence of any kind. King’s philosophy of nonviolence wasContinue reading ““Martin Luther King shows us how to harness the immense power of the queer community””
Centennial of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the U.S.
In these dark moments, more than ever we need to remember and celebrate the accomplishments and never forget the past, so here’s an excerpt from an article in LGBTQ Nation: “ The centennial celebration of the Society for Human Rights is also the centennial of the official movement for LGBTQ+ equality in the United States. Continue reading “Centennial of the LGBTQ+ rights movement in the U.S.”
The Little Prince and the Fox 