I continue to think of “The Power of Powerlessness,” especially in light of last week’s shooting in Connecticut. May we in the U.S. have the courage to confront power as Havel and his peers did—not just this week or next month, but long after the news reports fade, and the next inevitable scandal or atrocity captures our attention. May we heed Havel’s warning that systems built on lies work “only as long as people are willing to live within those lies.” May Havel’s courage and persistence embolden our own.
