This evening we went to see a movie that's been out for awhile. It will most likely be the last we go see until I am again gainfully employed.
The choice of our excursion was "Valkyrie". I left there sobbing.
If you aren't yet aware of the nature of the story, it is based upon the July 20 final attack attempt on Adolf Hitler toward the end of World War II. Colonel Stauffenberg joins and then leads the military members of a resistance to assassinate Hitler with the assistance of political allies within the Nazi party.
As we all know from history, they were sadly unsuccessful.
The movie was shot at several actual locations around Germany, including the Berghof, Hitler's palatial retreat home.
Though the scenery and costumery were stunning at times, I left there sobbing because of one thing.
Some days it seems we do not understand what true heroism actually is anymore. These men and women - politicians, military, and civilians - risked everything, EVERYTHING, to try and save their country and countrymen. They saw the evil for what Hitler was and knew they had to act to stand against it.
By their mere associations, much more their involvement, they knew they were putting their own lives and also their families' and friends' lives at stake. In the end they may have lost their lives, but they also gained so many more things that were vitally most precious. By standing against evil they regained their dignity, their honor, their pride, their country, their memory, and their souls.
How many politicians can claim that now days? How many of us would be willing to do the same if we were in similiar circumstances?
We look at our lives and think we are suffering. We think our days are full of evil.
What a mockery.
We don't know the meaning of sacrifice. We don't know the meaning of suffering.
And we have no clue what true evil really is.
Why else do we call a dying generation the greatest generation there ever was? Because they faced evil...and stood it down.
Before that generation is completely lost to our time, we need to do everything we can to learn from that history they hold.
Otherwise we are doomed to repeat it.
The choice of our excursion was "Valkyrie". I left there sobbing.
If you aren't yet aware of the nature of the story, it is based upon the July 20 final attack attempt on Adolf Hitler toward the end of World War II. Colonel Stauffenberg joins and then leads the military members of a resistance to assassinate Hitler with the assistance of political allies within the Nazi party.
As we all know from history, they were sadly unsuccessful.
The movie was shot at several actual locations around Germany, including the Berghof, Hitler's palatial retreat home.
Though the scenery and costumery were stunning at times, I left there sobbing because of one thing.
Some days it seems we do not understand what true heroism actually is anymore. These men and women - politicians, military, and civilians - risked everything, EVERYTHING, to try and save their country and countrymen. They saw the evil for what Hitler was and knew they had to act to stand against it.
By their mere associations, much more their involvement, they knew they were putting their own lives and also their families' and friends' lives at stake. In the end they may have lost their lives, but they also gained so many more things that were vitally most precious. By standing against evil they regained their dignity, their honor, their pride, their country, their memory, and their souls.
How many politicians can claim that now days? How many of us would be willing to do the same if we were in similiar circumstances?
We look at our lives and think we are suffering. We think our days are full of evil.
What a mockery.
We don't know the meaning of sacrifice. We don't know the meaning of suffering.
And we have no clue what true evil really is.
Why else do we call a dying generation the greatest generation there ever was? Because they faced evil...and stood it down.
Before that generation is completely lost to our time, we need to do everything we can to learn from that history they hold.
Otherwise we are doomed to repeat it.
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