Got in my first accident this week. No...scratch that...my car got in its first accident this week. I wasn't in the car, it was parked on the street outside my house. In fact, the other driver wasn't in the car either. In one of those truly accidental accidents, the car in my neighbor's driveway slipped out of gear and slid down the driveway, knocking into mine. I had to call the police because the only thing I saw was a truck sticking out of my car and I didn't know what had happened. There was an exchange of insurances and then a huge ordeal when my mother found out and was convinced that our insurance would go up because of it.
The next day was bitter cold, and as I headed out to the library to work on my ten page paper (that I hadn't worked on over break) and I was determined to forget the accident ordeal. In fact, after it had rained that night and washed away a few scuff marks on my car, there wasn't really much damage at all. So I bundled up and grabbed my regular bottle of water and stuffed it in my already overstuffed bag.
Not a good choice.
Water bottle was stuffed so tight in my bag it exploded and soaked my library books, Ipod, and cell phone. They were fried. Luckily, my laptop turned out okay. But I can't say a car accidnet and the loss of my cell phone and Ipod was pleasant...or cheap.
But then I set to work on my 10 page paper and I got a reality check. I've been taking a class this semester on the Holocaust. There's a lot that went on during that time that we certainly don't learn here in the United States. Like the fact that the United States was the first country to promote eugenics or we endorsed Hitler's anti-semetism until we found out how far he took it.
My paper was on the White Rose, and what motivated them to resist Hitler's brainwashing. The White Rose consisted of university students - students our age - who wrote and distributed leaflets around thier university, and even as far as other towns' universities that asked students to stand up against Hitler. After all, it is usually students who are most likely to resist. They are the ones being put in the frontline of battle during wartime. These students put themselves at risk every time they bought paper because that cast suspicion on them. Every time they bought stamps, every time they traveled with the leaflets in their briefcases they risked their lives. In fact, 35 out of the 100 leaflets they originally passed out were turned over to the Gestapo. Life under Hitler was so closely watched that many people believed the Nazis had sent out the leaflets to test their loyalty to the party, so they turned the leaflets in just to make sure they wouldn't be arrested for not turning them in.
Sadly, all of the members of the White Rose were executed by guillotine when a janitor caught them throwing leaflets out at the university. Three of the members - Hans Scholl, Sophie Scholl, and Christopher Probst - were executed FOUR days after they were found out.
Can you believe that. These kids - 21-25 years of age - were killed for expressing their views against the government.
That kind of put things in perspective. My phone was gone, my car had a little dent, and my Ipod was fried, but I have the freedom of speech. I can complain about my silly gadgets on a blog because we have the right to do that. And sometimes we need to remember what's really important.
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