Two True Heroes

The key conspirators who plotted against Hitler.

Yesterday was a day of double inspiration. First, I saw the new movie Valkyrie, starring Tom Cruise. This movie is about the July 20, 1944 assassination attempt on Adolph Hitler's life. In the movie, Cruise plays the role of the key conspirator, Col. Claus Von Stauffenberg. I have read articles and watched documentaries on this plot before, and it has always inspired me.

A few observations:

• There were military officers and politicians committed to removing Hitler, but they did not seem to have the wherewithal or courage to do the job.
• Staffenberg learned that if you want something done in life, you have to do it yourself, and that's exactly what he did.

What Stauffenberg and his colleagues did was incredibly brave. They likely knew their plan was a big gamble, and they knew for certain that failure would mean certain death. Sure enough, the key conspirators were executed that very night, and many others were killed in the following months.

Stauffenberg sacrificed his life on a long-shot coup against Hitler. If anything, it showed the world that not every German agreed with Hitler, and maybe that alone was a good enough reason to die.

It reminds me today of the journalists and activists who stand up against Muslim extremists, Russian mobsters, corporate plunderers, and other destructive forces, even if it means giving up one's own life. There are people like the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King who bravely stood up against an entrenched system and put themselves and families at great personal risk. These individuals are the greatest of the great.

We only have one life to live and maybe sometimes it is best to give up our existence to oppose an incredible injustice, so that others may have a better life. Stauffenberg, it appears, simply wanted to stop the killing, dying, and mass destruction of Europe. Had things gone just a little differently with his bomb plot, he might have succeeded. May Stuaffenberg always be remembered, and may we never forget his courage and example.

The Sea Shepherds

Then, last night I watched a documentary on the Sea Shepherds, a wonderful organization that works to protect

whales. One of their noble causes is to disrupt and harrass a Japanese whaling fleet, which goes to the South Antarctic each year to slaughter hundreds of whales. The Sea Shepherds actually follow the fleet in a ship and use a variety of tactics to disrupt the Japanese murder expedition.

I greatly applaud the group's leader, Capt. Paul Watson. A former director of the Sierra Club, I've exchanged emails with him before, and I've met members of his organization. He is very direct and consistent with his message, and he does not compromise. I really admire the guy.

In a world where there is little courage and conviction, both of these men set a great example for all of us. If nothing is done, nothing happens. If no risks are taken, nothing is accomplished.