Our right to express opinions without fear of repercussion is truly sacred—and it’s worth fighting for.
“[Fr. Viktor] told us of one lady about a month before VE Day said that Germans might as well give up as the war was lost. Well a few minutes later soldiers came and took her away, she hasn’t been seen since and no one knows what actually happened to her although they have a very good idea.”
—Joe Koch to mother Fannie Koch, Koenigstein (June 23, 1945)
This quote from Joe Koch’s letter struck me right between the eyes. The lady in question has been arrested and never heard from again. She’s not a political enemy that the Nazis have targeted for persecution. Nor is she an infamous dissident who regularly draws the attention of authorities. She’s a mere German citizen venting in public—and for this simple act she has paid a devastating price.
During one conversation we had with Herta “Hedy” Arata, she recounted a story from her teenage years (probably in the early 1940s). One night she accompanied her parents to the cinema. A newsreel preceded the film, and as it rolled through footage of German victories, Hedy’s father stood up in the darkened theater, shook his fist, and shouted, “We are going to regret this some day!” Hedy’s mother didn’t sleep for a month. The poor woman kept vigil by the door every night, waiting for the dreadful clap of footsteps from Gestapo agents coming to arrest her husband.
Think of the five freedoms granted to American citizens in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution: press, petition, assembly, speech, and religion. Can you imagine living in a time and place where you had none of those? Eighty years ago, this was the reality in Nazi Germany.
Think of the opinions you voice in public with friends, write on your social media feeds, or share with family after hearing the daily news. We live in times of extraordinary division, and frequently air heated opinions about the state of our world. Regardless of political identity, there’s one thing upon which we can all agree. Our right to express those opinions without fear of repercussion is truly sacred—and it’s worth fighting for.
Useful reminders
This post is part of a month-long series reflecting upon historical events that contributed to my debut historical fiction novel, The Sower of Black Field. Visit the “Latest News” area on my website for a recap »
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