PINN4CL3
01-30-2008, 05:44 PM
"Go tell the Spartans, thou who passest by,
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie"
- Simonides
The famous epitaph written by Simonides, to the Spartans at Thermopylae. A tribute to the bravery of the 300 Spartans who stood to defend their freedom against the oppression of an entire Persian Army. At the end of the day, the Spartans killed at a rate of 10:1 and their fortitude would be remembered throughout history.
I think it is important now, that we remember that day. When 300 Spartans left to defend their homes, their women, and their way of life, they did not know how history would be written. The epitaphs, the sonnets, the movies created in their honor, were still far in the future. To those 300 Spartans, there was no reason to believe they would win. There was no reason to believe they would live. There was almost certainly no reason to believe they'd be remembered. And yet, still, they fought. They fought with everything, and they left nothing. They fought with conviction, to the death, in the face of unimaginable odds. 300 Spartans died defending their freedom.
I write this in their honor, but I also write this as a reminder. We must not think we can predict the future. Tuesday is going to come around soon enough, and for sure there are some of us who have lost hope. That may be well and done, it is ok to lose hope, but we can never give up. History has not yet been written, and it is still up to us to fight to make our presence known. On February 1st, we all must come together again, and show the world that we have not forgotten, that we believe in our freedom, and that we will not go down silenced and without a fight.
I beg of you, of all of us, let's make one last stand. Together, for freedom, on February 1st.
-PiN
That here, obedient to their laws, we lie"
- Simonides
The famous epitaph written by Simonides, to the Spartans at Thermopylae. A tribute to the bravery of the 300 Spartans who stood to defend their freedom against the oppression of an entire Persian Army. At the end of the day, the Spartans killed at a rate of 10:1 and their fortitude would be remembered throughout history.
I think it is important now, that we remember that day. When 300 Spartans left to defend their homes, their women, and their way of life, they did not know how history would be written. The epitaphs, the sonnets, the movies created in their honor, were still far in the future. To those 300 Spartans, there was no reason to believe they would win. There was no reason to believe they would live. There was almost certainly no reason to believe they'd be remembered. And yet, still, they fought. They fought with everything, and they left nothing. They fought with conviction, to the death, in the face of unimaginable odds. 300 Spartans died defending their freedom.
I write this in their honor, but I also write this as a reminder. We must not think we can predict the future. Tuesday is going to come around soon enough, and for sure there are some of us who have lost hope. That may be well and done, it is ok to lose hope, but we can never give up. History has not yet been written, and it is still up to us to fight to make our presence known. On February 1st, we all must come together again, and show the world that we have not forgotten, that we believe in our freedom, and that we will not go down silenced and without a fight.
I beg of you, of all of us, let's make one last stand. Together, for freedom, on February 1st.
-PiN