Henry W. Sawyer (1918–1999) was an American lawyer, civil rights
activist, and Democratic politician. Born in Philadelphia, he served in
World War II and attended the University of Pennsylvania Law School.
After graduating, he joined the law firm of Drinker Biddle & Reath and
remained with them for his entire career. Sawyer worked as a corporate
lawyer but is best known for his advocacy of civil liberties, especially
in First Amendment cases. In Abington School District v. Schempp and
Lemon v. Kurtzman, he successfully argued cases before the Supreme Court
of the United States (building pictured) that became the basis for all
modern Establishment Clause jurisprudence. He pursued civil rights
causes in Philadelphia and in the South during the civil rights movement
of the 1960s. He also served a four-year term on the Philadelphia City
Council, where he worked on civil service reform and the acquisition of
public art for the city.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_W._Sawyer>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1423:
Hundred Years' War: The English and their Burgundian allies
were victorious over the French at the Battle of Cravant near Auxerre,
France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Cravant>
1941:
The Holocaust: Under instructions from Adolf Hitler, Hermann
Göring authorised SS General Reinhard Heydrich to handle preparations
for "the Final Solution of the Jewish question".
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Final_Solution>
1971:
Apollo program: The first Lunar Roving Vehicle was used during
the Apollo 15 mission to the Moon.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apollo_15>
2012:
The largest power outage in history occurred across 22 Indian
states, affecting more than 620 million people, or about 9 percent of
the world's population.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2012_India_blackouts>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
aposematism:
(biology, chiefly zoology) An adaptation, especially a form of
coloration, that warns off potential predators.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aposematism>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Those who choose not to empathize enable real monsters; for
without ever committing an act of outright evil ourselves, we collude
with it through our own apathy.
--J. K. Rowling
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/J._K._Rowling>
The Horncastle boar's head is an Anglo-Saxon ornament, silver and 40 mm
(1.6 in) long, that probably was once attached to the crest of a
helmet. Dating to the first half of the seventh century, it was
discovered in 2002 by a metal detectorist searching in the town of
Horncastle, Lincolnshire. It was reported as found treasure and
purchased for £15,000 by the City and County Museum, now known as The
Collection, in Lincoln. Its elongated head is semi-naturalistic,
depicting a crouching quadruped on either side of the skull. Garnets
form the boar's eyes, and its eyebrows, skull, mouth, tusks, and snout
are gilded. The space underneath the hollow head has three rivets that
would have affixed the fragment to a larger object. The fragment
probably adorned the crest of a helmet similar to those in use in
Northern Europe during the sixth through eleventh centuries. As of 2019
the museum has the fragment on display.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horncastle_boar%27s_head>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1811:
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla, an early leader of the Mexican War
of Independence, was executed by Spanish authorities.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miguel_Hidalgo_y_Costilla>
1950:
Four striking workers were shot dead by the Gendarmerie in
Belgium at the height of the political crisis known as the Royal
Question.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Question>
2006:
Lebanon War: The Israeli Air Force attacked a three-story
building near the Southern Lebanese village of Qana, killing at least 28
civilians, including 16 children.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Qana_airstrike>
2014:
At least 151 people were killed when heavy rains triggered a
landslide in Pune district, Maharashtra, India.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2014_Malin_landslide>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
tajine:
1. (cooking) An earthenware cooking pot of North African origin,
consisting of a shallow, round dish without handles and a tall, conical
or dome-shaped lid.
2. (by extension) A stew, originally from Morocco, the ingredients of
which are traditionally cooked slowly in such a pot; the dish is
normally served with couscous.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/tajine>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Them heavy people hit me in a soft spot. Rolling the ball,
rolling the ball, rolling the ball to me. They open doorways that I
thought were shut for good. They read me Gurdjieff and Jesu. They
build up my body, break me emotionally. It's nearly killing me, but
what a lovely feeling!
--Kate Bush
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Kate_Bush>
The red-throated loon or red-throated diver (Gavia stellata) is a
migratory aquatic bird found in the northern hemisphere. It breeds
mainly in Arctic regions, and winters in northern coastal waters. It is
the smallest of the loons. In winter, it is a plain bird, greyish above
and white below; in the breeding season, it has a distinctive reddish
throat patch. Fish form the bulk of its diet, though amphibians,
invertebrates, and plant material are also sometimes eaten. A monogamous
species, the red-throated loon forms long-term pair bonds. Both members
of the pair help to build the nest, incubate typically two eggs and
feed the hatched young. The red-throated loon has a large global
population and a significant global range, though some populations are
declining due to oil spills, habitat degradation, pollution, and
entrapment in fishing nets. Natural predators, including various gull
species and foxes, will take eggs and young. This species is protected
by international treaties.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red-throated_loon>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1862:
American Civil War: Confederate spy Belle Boyd was arrested by
Union forces after her lover turned her in.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belle_Boyd>
1914:
The first shots of World War I were fired by the Austro-
Hungarian river monitor SMS Bodrog upon Serbian defences near Belgrade.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yugoslav_monitor_Sava>
1950:
Korean War: U.S. Army 7th Cavalry Regiment troops concluded
four days of shootings of civilians, sparked by fears that columns of
refugees might contain North Korean spies.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/No_Gun_Ri_massacre>
2010:
An overloaded passenger ferry capsized on the Kasai River in
Bandundu Province, Democratic Republic of Congo, resulting in at least
80 deaths.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kasai_River_disaster>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
smocking:
(sewing) An embroidery technique in which the fabric is gathered and
then embroidered with decorative stitches to hold the gathers in place;
the product of the use of this embroidery technique.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/smocking>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
䷙ The superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of
antiquity And many deeds of the past, In order to strengthen his
character thereby.
--I Ching
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/I_Ching>
The 1989 Tour de France was the 76th edition of one of cycling's Grand
Tours. The 3,285 km (2,041 mi) race began in Luxembourg with a
prologue time trial on 1 July. It reached French soil during stage 4,
ending in Paris on 23 July after 21 stages. Often cited as one of the
most competitive runnings of the Tour, the race was decided by only
eight seconds in favour of Greg LeMond (pictured), the smallest victory
margin to date. Laurent Fignon, who was never separated from LeMond by
more than fifty-three seconds throughout the event, finished second
overall, ahead of defending champion Pedro Delgado. Fignon performed
well during the mountain stages to enter the final-day individual time
trial with a 50-second advantage. LeMond utilised aerodynamic triathlon
tribars to gain an advantage and managed to win the Tour on the last
stage. Sean Kelly won the points classification for a record fourth
time, while Gert-Jan Theunisse took the King of the Mountains prize.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1989_Tour_de_France>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1866:
At the age of 18, Vinnie Ream became the youngest artist and
first woman to receive a commission from the United States government
for a statue—that of Abraham Lincoln currently in the U.S. Capitol
rotunda.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinnie_Ream>
1939:
During an excavation of a ship burial at Sutton Hoo in Suffolk,
England, archaeologists discovered a helmet likely belonging to King
Rædwald of East Anglia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A6dwald_of_East_Anglia>
2001:
At the World Aquatics Championships in Fukuoka, Japan,
Australian Ian Thorpe became the first swimmer to win six gold medals at
a single World Championships.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ian_Thorpe>
2010:
In the deadliest air accident in Pakistan's history, Airblue
Flight 202 crashed into the Margalla Hills north of Islamabad, killing
all 152 aboard.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airblue_Flight_202>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
brawl:
1. (intransitive) To engage in a brawl; to fight or quarrel.
2. (intransitive) To create a disturbance; to complain loudly.
3. (intransitive) Especially of a rapid stream running over stones: to
make a loud, confused noise.
4. (transitive) To pour abuse on; to scold. [...]
5. (intransitive, obsolete) To move to and fro, to quiver, to shake.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/brawl>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If we are uncritical we shall always find what we want: we shall
look for, and find, confirmations, and we shall look away from, and not
see, whatever might be dangerous to our pet theories. In this way it is
only too easy to obtain what appears to be overwhelming evidence in
favor of a theory which, if approached critically, would have been
refuted.
--Karl Popper
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Karl_Popper>
The Kediri campaign took place from August to December 1678 in Kediri
(in modern-day East Java, Indonesia) during the Trunajaya rebellion. The
forces of the Mataram Sultanate, led by Amangkurat II, and the Dutch
East India Company, led by Anthonio Hurdt, moved inland into eastern
Java against Trunajaya's forces. After a series of marches beset by
logistical difficulties and harassment by Trunajaya's forces, the
Javanese–Dutch army crossed the Brantas River on the night of 16–17
November. They marched on Trunajaya's capital and stronghold at Kediri
and took it by direct assault on 25 November. Kediri was plundered by
the victors, and the Mataram treasury—captured by Trunajaya after his
victory at Plered—was completely lost in the looting. Trunajaya
himself fled Kediri and continued his greatly weakened rebellion until
his capture at the end of 1679.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1678_Kediri_campaign>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1302:
Byzantine–Ottoman wars: The Ottoman sultanate gained its
first major victory against the Byzantine Empire in the Battle of
Bapheus in Bithynia.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Bapheus>
1919:
Red Summer: Race riots erupted in Chicago after a racial
incident occurred on a South Side beach, leading to 38 fatalities and
537 injuries over a five-day period.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chicago_race_riot_of_1919>
1949:
The de Havilland Comet, the world's first commercial jet
airliner to reach production, made its maiden flight.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/De_Havilland_Comet>
2007:
While covering a police pursuit in Phoenix, Arizona, two news
helicopters collided in mid-air, killing both crews.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2007_Phoenix_news_helicopter_collision>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
carrier wave:
(physics) A wave that can be modulated, either in amplitude, frequency,
or phase, to carry or transmit images, music, speech, or other signals.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/carrier_wave>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
There's a hole in the sky I stood and stared I feel it inside
what isn't there The children are lost we can't find them anywhere
Hole in the sky I'm crying still crying for you.
--Juliana Hatfield
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Juliana_Hatfield>
Ralph Neville (died 1244) was a medieval clergyman and politician who
served as Bishop of Chichester and Lord Chancellor of England. Neville
first appears in the historical record in 1207 in the service of King
John, and remained in royal service for the rest of his life. By 1213
Neville had custody of the Great Seal of England, although he was not
named chancellor, the office responsible for the seal, until 1226. He
was rewarded with the bishopric of Chichester in 1222. He was briefly
Archbishop-elect of Canterbury and Bishop-elect of Winchester, but both
elections were set aside, or quashed, and he held neither office. As
keeper of the seal, and later as chancellor, Neville was noted for his
impartiality and for overseeing changes in the way the chancery
operated. Neville was deprived of the Great Seal in 1238 after
quarrelling with the king, but continued to hold the title of chancellor
until his death.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ralph_Neville>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1882:
Boer mercenaries declared their independence from the Transvaal
Republic and established the Republic of Stellaland.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stellaland>
1936:
The Canadian National Vimy Memorial, dedicated to the Canadian
Expeditionary Force members killed during the First World War, was
unveiled near Vimy, Pas-de-Calais, France.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_National_Vimy_Memorial>
1953:
In Short Creek, Arizona, police conducted a mass arrest of
approximately 400 Mormon fundamentalists for polygamy.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Short_Creek_raid>
2009:
The militant Islamist group Boko Haram launched an attack on a
Nigeria Police Force station, sparking violence across several states in
northeastern Nigeria, leaving more than 1,000 people dead.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2009_Boko_Haram_uprising>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
effulgent:
(literary, also figuratively) Radiant, resplendent, shining.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/effulgent>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
Emotion is the chief source of all becoming-conscious. There can
be no transforming of darkness into light and of apathy into movement
without emotion.
--Carl Jung
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Carl_Jung>
Orpheus in the Underworld (Orphée aux enfers, 1858) is a comic opera
with music by Jacques Offenbach (pictured) and words by Hector Crémieux
and Ludovic Halévy. It was extensively revised and expanded in 1874 for
a run that broke box-office records at the Théâtre de la Gaîté,
Paris. In the opera, a lampoon of the legend of Orpheus and Eurydice,
Orpheus is a rustic violin teacher who is glad to be rid of his wife
when she is abducted by the god of the underworld. The reprehensible
conduct of the gods of Olympus was widely seen as a veiled satire of the
court and government of Napoleon III, Emperor of the French. Some
critics expressed outrage at the librettists' disrespect for classic
mythology and the composer's parody of Gluck's opera Orfeo ed Euridice;
others praised the piece highly. It was Offenbach's first full-length
opera and remains the one that is most often performed. Can-can cabaret
acts still use its "Galop infernal", adopted later in the 19th century
by the Moulin Rouge and Folies Bergère.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orpheus_in_the_Underworld>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1261:
Alexios Strategopoulos led the Nicaean forces of Michael VIII
Palaiologos to recapture Constantinople, re-establish the Byzantine
Empire, and end the Latin Empire.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexios_Strategopoulos>
1898:
Spanish–American War: After over two months of sea-based
bombardment, the United States invaded Puerto Rico.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puerto_Rico_Campaign>
1965:
Bob Dylan, who had previously been known for folk music, gave a
controversial performance at the Newport Folk Festival playing songs
with an electric guitar.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electric_Dylan_controversy>
1969:
Vietnam War: President Richard Nixon announced that the United
States would not "undertake all the defense of the free nations of the
world", beginning the Vietnamization of the war.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nixon_Doctrine>
2007:
Pratibha Patil was sworn in as the first female president of
India.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pratibha_Patil>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
aspheterism:
(dated, rare) The view that all property should be in common ownership
and that no individual should benefit from private possession.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/aspheterism>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
If by politeness then is meant goodness, it is appreciated by me
as I trust it always has been, but if it is to mean the string of
ceremonies generally used for concealing ill nature, and which have been
found necessary to the existence of every society whose members are
wanting in self respect and morality, I detest it more than ever. My
prominent idea of a polite man is one who is nothing but polish. It is
an unenviable reputation. If there was anything else in him the polish
would never be noticed. He is a bad drawing finely worked up, and
Gérôme says that every attempt at finish on a bad design serves only
to make the work more contemptible.
--Thomas Eakins
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Thomas_Eakins>
The Office of the Inspector General of the United States Army is the
agency tasked with investigating the army. Its stated mission includes
"advice and oversight to the army through ... inspection, assistance,
investigations, and training". George Washington and members of the
Continental Congress requested an inspector general for the Continental
Army in 1777, and Thomas Conway was appointed the same year. His
successor was Friedrich Wilhelm von Steuben, a Prussian military officer
who later served as Washington's chief of staff. The office has been
reorganized many times, and has varied in size dramatically. In its
early days, the inspectorate was frequently merged with, or proposed to
be part of, the Adjutant General's department. It expanded greatly after
the Civil War, and had grown to around 2,000 officers by 1993. Leslie C.
Smith (pictured) has been the inspector general since February 2018.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Office_of_the_Inspector_Genera…>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1959:
Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev and U.S. Vice President
Richard Nixon held an impromptu debate at the opening of the American
National Exhibition at Sokolniki Park in Moscow.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitchen_Debate>
1987:
Iran–Iraq War: In opposition to the American plan to protect
Kuwaiti tankers, Iran laid mines and damaged the SS Bridgeton,
resulting in a propaganda victory for Iran.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgeton_incident>
2009:
The MV Arctic Sea, reportedly carrying timber, was allegedly
boarded by hijackers off the coast of Sweden, but much speculation
remains as to the actual cargo and events.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MV_Arctic_Sea>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
quakebuttock:
(formerly obsolete, rare, now humorous) A coward.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/quakebuttock>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
War was return of earth to ugly earth, War was foundering of
sublimities, Extinction of each happy art and faith By which the world
had still kept head in air.
--Robert Graves
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Robert_Graves>
The Coinage Act of 1965 eliminated silver from the United States dime
(ten-cent piece) and quarter dollar, and also reduced the silver content
of the half dollar from 90 percent to 40 percent. There had been coin
shortages beginning in 1959, and the United States Bureau of the Mint
expanded production to try to meet demand. Increased industrial demand
for silver drove its price higher; there was widespread hoarding of
silver coins. With government stocks of the metal being depleted,
President Lyndon B. Johnson recommended that Congress allow silverless
dimes and quarters, and debased silver half dollars. Congress passed the
bill rapidly and Johnson signed it on July 23, 1965. The new coins
began to enter circulation in late 1965, and alleviated the shortages.
Precious metal coins vanished from circulation beginning in 1967 as the
price of silver rose. The act also banned the production of silver
dollars until at least 1970.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coinage_Act_of_1965>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1914:
Austria-Hungary presented Serbia with an ultimatum to allow
them to investigate the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, which
Serbia would ultimately reject, leading to World War I.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/July_Crisis>
1927:
Wilfred Rhodes of England and Yorkshire became the only person
to play in 1,000 first-class cricket matches.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilfred_Rhodes>
1982:
During the filming of Twilight Zone: The Movie in Valencia,
California, a helicopter crashed, killing three people and leading to
new safety standards.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twilight_Zone_accident>
1995:
Hale–Bopp, one of the most widely observed comets of the 20th
century, was discovered by two independent observers, Alan Hale and
Thomas Bopp.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Comet_Hale%E2%80%93Bopp>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
churchical:
1. (Christianity, informal) Pertaining to or characteristic of church;
ecclesiastical.
2. (chiefly Jamaican, music) Belonging to a style of Reggae music that
reflects a spiritual sensibility.
3. (chiefly Jamaican, Rastafari) Pertaining to the strain of Rastafarian
culture that emphasizes a traditional theocracy.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/churchical>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The Charter of the United Nations expresses the noblest
aspirations of man: abjugation of force in the settlement of disputes
between states; the assurance of human rights and fundamental freedoms
for all without distinction as to race, sex, language or religion; the
safeguarding of international peace and security. But these, too, as
were the phrases of the Covenant, are only words; their value depends
wholly on our will to observe and honour them and give them content and
meaning. The preservation of peace and the guaranteeing of man's basic
freedoms and rights require courage and eternal vigilance: courage to
speak and act — and if necessary, to suffer and die — for truth and
justice; eternal vigilance, that the least transgression of
international morality shall not go undetected and unremedied. These
lessons must be learned anew by each succeeding generation, and that
generation is fortunate indeed which learns from other than its own
bitter experience.
--Haile Selassie
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Haile_Selassie>
William Harper (22 July 1916 – 8 September 2006) was a politician,
general contractor and Royal Air Force fighter pilot who served as a
Cabinet minister in Rhodesia (or Southern Rhodesia) from 1962 to 1968.
He signed Rhodesia's Unilateral Declaration of Independence from Britain
in 1965. Born into an Anglo-Indian merchant family in Calcutta, he
joined the RAF in 1937. He served as an officer throughout the Second
World War and was wounded in the Battle of Britain. He emigrated to
Rhodesia on retiring from the air force. Entering politics with the
Dominion Party in 1958, he became Minister of Irrigation, Roads and Road
Traffic in the Rhodesian Front government in 1962. When the Prime
Minister Winston Field resigned in 1964, Harper was a front-runner to
succeed him, but lost out to Ian Smith. After leading opposition in the
Cabinet to some of Smith's negotiations, he was dismissed. He left for
South Africa before majority rule began in Zimbabwe Rhodesia in 1979.
Read more: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Harper_%28Rhodesian_politician%29>
_______________________________
Today's selected anniversaries:
1793:
Scottish explorer Alexander Mackenzie inscribed his name on a
rock near Dean Channel after becoming the first recorded person to
complete a transcontinental crossing of North America north of Mexico.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_Mackenzie_%28explorer%29>
1933:
Wiley Post became the first pilot to fly solo around the world,
landing after a seven-day, nineteen-hour flight at Floyd Bennett Field
in Brooklyn, New York City.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiley_Post>
1975:
Stanley Forman took the Pulitzer Prize-winning photo Fire
Escape Collapse, which spurred action to improve the safety of fire
escapes across the United States.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fire_Escape_Collapse>
2002:
The Israel Defense Forces dropped a bomb on the home of Salah
Shehade, the leader of the military arm of Hamas, killing him, his
family and some neighboring civilians, among them seven children.
<https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salah_Shehade>
_____________________________
Wiktionary's word of the day:
radiole:
1. (zoology) The spine of a sea urchin.
2. (zoology) A heavily ciliated feather-like tentacle occuring in
clusters on the crowns of certain tubeworms, especially those of the
order Canalipalpata (the fan-head worms), used for feeding and
respiration.
<https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/radiole>
___________________________
Wikiquote quote of the day:
The spirit of man has awakened and the soul of man has gone
forth. Grant us the wisdom and the vision to comprehend the greatness of
man's spirit, that suffers and endures so hugely for a goal beyond his
own brief span. Grant us honor for our dead who died in the faith, honor
for our living who work and strive for the faith, redemption and
security for all captive lands and peoples. Grant us patience with the
deluded and pity for the betrayed. And grant us the skill and valor that
shall cleanse the world of oppression and the old base doctrine that the
strong must eat the weak because they are strong. Yet most of all grant
us brotherhood, not only for this day but for all our years — a
brotherhood not of words but of acts and deeds. We are all of us
children of earth — grant us that simple knowledge. If our brothers
are oppressed, then we are oppressed. If they hunger, we hunger. If
their freedom is taken away, our freedom is not secure. Grant us a
common faith that man shall know bread and peace — that he shall know
justice and righteousness, freedom and security, an equal opportunity
and an equal chance to do his best, not only in our own lands, but
throughout the world. And in that faith let us march toward the clean
world our hands can make. Amen.
--Stephen Vincent Benét
<https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Stephen_Vincent_Ben%C3%A9t>