People with Convictions
“The only way for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.”
Those were the words of Alexei Navalny displayed at the beginning of the In Memoriam Tribute to those who died during the past year at the Academy of Motion Pictures Awards Ceremony on March 10, 2024.
“If your convictions are worth anything, you should be willing to stand up for them and if necessary, make some sacrifices.” Those were also the words of Alexei Navalny from one of his final letters read by Benedict Cumberbatch.
“There is no shame in doing little. There is shame in doing nothing. In allowing them to scare you.” Those words were shared by Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya, shortly after her husband’s death.
“This is not a time to sit out but instead to re-engage. We appeal to Americans to set aside their political differences, grievances and party affiliations, and to contemplate – as families, as parishes, as councils and clubs, and as individuals – the real magnitude of the choice they will make in November.” Those are words from The Editorial Board of The New York Times published on January 6, 2024. This piece was a warning about the former president of United States who is running again for president this year.
Last month in writing about the gravity of the climate crisis we face I asked these questions: Where will you show up this week, this month, this year? What petition will you sign? What donation will you make? What story will you choose to tell well? What is your mindset?
And now, I paraphrase Navalny’s question: Are you willing to stand up for your convictions and if necessary, make some sacrifices to save this country as we approach our 250th anniversary in 2026?
Who We Can Be – We can be people who remember that “The only way for evil to triumph is for good people to do nothing.”
