Should We Stand By Our Principles?

I was discussing politics with a co-worker during an election year. She told me, “You can’t eat your principles. So think about your stomach first!” Do you believe she’s right? Think about this for a moment. What if Martin Luther King, Jr. followed her advice? Would racial segregation have been eliminated? What if Mohandas Gandhi followed her advice? Would India have gained its independence? So do you still believe that we should think about our stomachs first before standing up for our principles? Then what kind of a world do you think we’d live in if people did that?

Courage Under Fire

My dad told me about his former boss in another country, where corruption was widespread. They had an import/export business. When a shipment arrived, customs officials demanded bribes to waive the import tax. Dad's boss refused, and insisted on paying the tax, even though he knew that the officials would retaliate for his refusal. As a result, he suffered the consequences. His shipment "got lost." I admired the courage of this person, who was willing to stand by his principles and suffer for it. We all complain about what's wrong with the world. But do we have the guts to change it, by doing the right thing and suffer the consequences? This guy did. So did Martin Luther King, Jr. and Mohandas Gandhi. Imagine the possibilities if everyone followed suit.