The White Rose

      In the musical, “The Sound of Music” one of the songs, “Edelweiss” stirs your feelings. The musical is based on the Von Trapp family and their escape from the Nazis. Edelweiss is a white, mountain flower of Europe which in German means noble white. There is another story about a white flower that comes from this period of history.

     The White Rose was the name of a group of mainly German university students and professors. Their symbol the white rose stood for purity. What makes them unique is they stood up to the evil of the Nazis. It is believed the group started after the Archbishop of Munster spoke out against the Nazis in a sermon.

     Though the group was reported to have about 300 members there were a handful that stood out. In 1942 University of Munich student Hans Scholl and friend, Alex Schmorell wrote four leaflets and left them in various places. The pamphlets were called “the Leaves of the White Rose”. Others who became involved with the group included Hans’s sister Sophie Scholl, Christof Probst, and George Wittenstein.

Professor Kurt Huber, taught philosophy at the university lectured on and helps write leaflets about forbidden subjects.{mosloadposition adsense}

     In the summer of 1942 the students were sent to the Russian front to help in the field hospitals. During this time they were witness to the horrors of war and the treatment of Jews and other “undesirables”.

In July of 1943 the Bavarian governor, Paul Gisler; gives a speech stating all men who cannot serve in the military must work in the factories and the women must have a baby each year. This was too much and the students took to the streets. Writing freedom on walls and crossing out the swastikas with paint.

    On the 18 of February 1943 Hans and Sophie spreads leaflets around the university. The Gestapo found out and those of the White Rose were arrested. They were tried and sentenced to death. Their death was by guillotine, only George Wittenstein survived. Near the end of the war Wittenstein was a member of the Bavarian Freedom Movement who helped in fighting the Nazis and taking control of Munich to prevent a battle with the Americans.

     The story of the White Rose may be brief but shows that even in the worst of times there are those who stand up for what is right. That against the odds and knowing the evil they stood against they carried on giving their lives in protest. It is an immortal story from the beginning of time of mans desire for freedom, justice and the pursuit of what is right.

      In today’s world of corrupt political officials and corporate greed, injustices and cruelty against men around the world continues. Is it time for the White Rose to flourish and bloom again?

The Haymarket Massacre

       Today, May 1^st is considered a holiday around the world. May Day has been celebrated since early pagan days in Europe. It was celebrated as the first day of summer. Today May Day is connected more with the labor movement. The connection started with the Haymarket riot of Chicago in 1886.

         What was and what caused the Haymarket massacre? In the 1870’s Chicago was a leading center for labor. By 1886 unions were forming for better working conditions. They were attempting to get an eight hour work day. This would not come about until the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938.

          For the laborer during this time conditions were poor and unstable. Problems began between factory owners and workers. Competition led to factory owners looking for production that was faster and cheaper. This was accomplished by cutting labor costs. Machinery replaced skilled labor. The factory system of production used separated and unskilled labor. This led to low wages, long hours, and unstable employment. One has only to read Upton Sinclair’s book “The Jungle” to get a feel for the conditions of workers during this period. {mosloadposition adsense}

         On May 3, 1886 a violent incident occurred at the McCormick Reaper Works during a meeting of strikers. On May 4 approximately 200 workers assembled at Des Plaines St. in Chicago, known as the Haymarket. By 10:00 P.M. 176 police officers gathered and ordered the crowd to disperse. A bomb was set off causing shooting to start. When the smoke cleared six officers would die and sixty would be injured from the event. No one knows who set the bomb off or how many civilians were dead or injured. Later evidence showed that most officers were injured by their own gun fire.

         After the incident anarchists and socialists were rounded up. Eight men were convicted of inciting the riot through the use of inflammatory speeches and publications. Of these men four were hanged, one committed suicide, and three remained in prison. On June 26, 1893 a full pardon was granted to the men in prison by the governor, John P. Altgeld. It is from the Haymarket incident that anarchist became portrayed as bomb toting radicals. It is also why we celebrate May 1 as a day for workers rights and the labor movement.

          If one looks back and compares today with history we can see the correlations. Before the industrial revolution it was the landed gentry and the peasants. Leap forward to the present and we have outsourcing, immigration, and globalization as the problems of the worker. Some things never really change.

Destruction of Churches

You don’t hear much in the news about it anymore. It still has many unsolved problems and we still have troops there. The place is Kosovo. The conflict between Serbians and Albanians in Kosovo has not been resolved. The UN and NATO still have a presence in the region but that is not entirely what this article is about.

It is about the destruction of churches that has taken place in Kosovo. I was working in Kosovo in 2003 and personally saw what was going on and the destruction that was taking place. In 2004 another escalation in the violence saw a new round of churches being burnt down and destroyed. Many of these churches date back to the early beginnings of Christianity during the Byzantine Empire in the region. These churches are not just places of worship but are also an important artistic and cultural part of our world heritage. {mosloadposition adsense}

The churches were vandalized and destroyed by ethnic Albanians in an attempt to remove the Serbian presence from the region. In the months of June through October of 1999 76 religious sites were desecrated in one form or another. In March of 2004, 17 churches, monasteries and convents were looted and set on fire in just two days. As of 3 April 2007 the Visoki Descani monastery was targeted by a mortar attack, the 23 since 1999.{mosloadposition adsense}

This is a world problem that needs to be addressed. Organizations like UNESCO and NATO must do more than has been done. These sites are in need of restoration and preservation. The problem of historic sites around the world being destroyed is on going with no end in site. All people around the world must step up to protect our past.

Freedom and liberty what do those words mean? Are there universally understood and excepted meanings for these words? The dictionary defines freedom as the condition of being free from restraints and the capacity to exercise free choice. Liberty is defined as the right and power to act, believe, and express oneself in the manner of their own choosing. It is also being physically and legally free from confinement, servitude, or forced labor. Liberty is joined with freedom to also mean being without unjust or undue governmental control.

The words are most assuredly understood for their meanings. It would not be stretching it too far to say that freedom and liberty are universally desired by people worldwide. The unfortunate truth is that the practice of freedom and liberty are not accepted worldwide.

>Why is it that something so desired by so many is denied by the so few.

It is the power of the few who dictate to the masses. It is the so called elite that feel the need to control. And who are these elite? They are the politicians and those in control of the money. They remain in power through greed. Again we must ask why? There are numerous reasons, but one stands at the top; it is fear. They fear that they will be no better that the rest of us. They assume that their worth is more than everyone else. It is due to this fear that people around the world are suppressed. To question those in power is perceived as a challenge and denial that they are superior.{mosloadposition adsense}

Thomas Jefferson said, “The price of freedom is eternal vigilance.” Even in countries that consider themselves free and democratic, people must exercise caution. If left unchecked it inevitable that those in power will erode our freedom and liberty. Jefferson also said, “Freedom is not something that anybody can be given; freedom is something people take and people are as free as they want to be.”

As people around the world we must constantly ask ourselves what freedom and liberty mean to us. Are we truly free or are we manipulated into believing something we are not. If we are controlled to the point that our freedom of speech to challenge those in power is denied then all other freedoms are mute. When our freedom to think and express ourselves is questioned then we are not free. It was once said men fight for freedom, and then they make laws to take it away from themselves.

We must resist the temptation to put into effect constrains by laws that inhibit the true spirit of freedom which lies in the hearts and minds of man.

In 1828 Francis Wright said, “Who speaks of liberty when the human mind is in chains.” If we fear to think something then we will never express or achieve the greatness that man possesses within himself.

In the pursuit and holding on to freedom we must always look at those around us. True freedom is not gained by oppressing others. It is all too often that the few by law and or force choose to constrain the will of others. No nation or corporation will hold onto freedom through the domination of others. The burden and restrains put on others will ultimately bind them also.

As human kind we must seek freedom and liberty as a duty. Not for a nation, a religion, or a people but as an obligation of the heart. Knowing that the inner soul of all mankind seeks freedom and liberty, it is a constant through the course of time. Freedom is the light that guides us through the darkness of existence.