I’ve been thinking about this man all night. He, alone among his peers, took an action with foreseeable and negative personal consequences. Whether spontaneous or planned, he made a choice that may well define the rest of his life, for good or ill.

I took the time to reflect on my own weekend, celebrating America’s independence against different totalitarian rule. I spent it with family, safe, free, and relaxed. I couldn’t help but wonder if i would have the fortitude of this man, even basking in the freedoms I now, blithely, take for granted. Base rates for humans show that amidst totalitarian regimes, most choose silence and going with the flow. While i like to imagine otherwise, I am a product of my culture - and self-protective.

Yet, this man, on one evening, said “here I am. And this is who I am.”

Knowing nothing else about him, he is a hero.