We Have Only to Persevere to Conquer
by Jim Greer
LW contributor
In the early months of 1940, Hitler had invaded much of western Europe. On May 10, he invaded Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and France. It was then that England stood alone against Nazi Germany, and Winston Churchill was her newly elected prime minister. These days were known as “The Darkest Hour.”
Academy Award-winning actor Gary Oldman masterfully portrayed Churchill in the film of the same name. In one of the most inspiring scenes, Churchill uncharacteristically ducks into the London underground to ride from St. James’ Park to Westminster. The passengers, astounded to be sharing a rail car with the prime minister, are asked by Churchill, “British people, what is your mood?” to which one man replied, “Some say it’s a lost cause.” “Lost causes are the only ones worth fighting for!” said Winston. “What if I put it to you all that we might, if we ask nicely, get very favorable terms from Mr. Hitler if we enter into a peace deal with him right now?” “Never!” replied the group in unison. Turning to a young girl sitting with her mother, the prime minister asked, “You will never give up?” “No, never!” she exclaimed defiantly.
That same week, in his first speech before the House of Commons, Churchill declared that “I have nothing to offer but blood, toil, tears and sweat.” He then promised the world that the British people would “never surrender.”
We have before us today equally threatening enemies, a pandemic, economic uncertainty, political and social unrest. We fight these foes together every day, as the Britons did, with blood, toil, tears and sweat. We do not fight these foes with fists, but with joined hands. Or, as Victor Hugo declared, “In joined hands, there is still some token of hope; in the clinched fist, none.”
Our tokens of hope include civility, kindness, social distancing, the wearing of face masks, and washing our hands. This may appear to be America’s darkest hour, but shall we surrender? Never!
Just as Operation Dynamo saved 338,226 Allied troops from the Germans at Dunkirk, we must band together to tirelessly protect our loved ones and our neighbors. As Churchill declared, “Whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender!”
Surrender is giving in to fear. Surrender is accepting conspiracy theories as facts. Surrender is denying evidence presented by the most competent medical and disease-control authorities.
Over a year after his stirring speech to Parliament, Churchill addressed his boyhood school,
