Wherever there was injustice, war, discrimination against women, gays and the disadvantaged, I did my best to show up and exert moral persuasion.
Coretta Scott KingRead
Kindness towards strangers is rare in North Korea. There is a risk to helping others. The state made accusers and informers of us all.
Interpretation
The quote reflects the courage needed to show kindness in a repressive environment where such actions can have serious consequences.
In this quote, Lee Hyeon-Seo speaks to the scarcity of kindness among strangers in North Korea, a place where societal norms and government actions have instilled fear of retribution for helping others. The idea of helping someone becomes risky as the state has encouraged a culture of suspicion, where individuals may inform on one another, leading to a breakdown of communal support and kindness.
In practice
During a speech about human rights, this quote highlights the importance of compassion even in hostile environments.
Wherever there was injustice, war, discrimination against women, gays and the disadvantaged, I did my best to show up and exert moral persuasion.
No matter what kind of difficult situation one may find oneself in, some opening, some opportunity to fight one's way out, can always be found. What's most important is to hold fast to Hope, to face the future with courage.
I have a brain and a uterus, and I use both.
Most people would have given up when faced with all the criticism I've received over the years.
To be neutral in a situation of injustice is to have chosen sides already. It is to support the status quo.
As a child, I sat in the back of the bus. I was told, time and time again, that God's potential didn't exist in people like me. I've spent my life fighting to change that. And, from the first day when I met Hillary Clinton, I've known that she's someone who cares just as much and fights just as hard.
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