Lees Street Amateur and Musical Dramatic Society recently presented a play about the life and diary of Anne Frank.
It was a moving way of bringing to our attention the wisdom and courage of the young writer, Anne, a Jew, who hid with her family during the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands, though ultimately they were betrayed and she died in Bergen-Belsen, just weeks before the war ended. But it also brought to mind the situations where persecution and hatred persist.
Anne wrote this: “How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world.” It is quite a thought for us. So what about the Anne Frank Declaration:
“Anne Frank is a symbol of the millions of children who have been victims of persecution.
Anne’s life and death show us what can happen when prejudice and hatred go unchallenged.
And because prejudice and hatred harm us all, we declare that:
We will stand up for what is right and speak out against what is unfair and wrong.
We will try to defend those who cannot defend themselves.
We will strive for a world in which our differences will make no difference –
a world in which everyone is treated fairly and has an equal chance in life.”
Let’s not just think about it
