“Strong people stand up for themselves.” Chris Gardner once stated, “Stronger people stand up for others.” Chris Gardner is an American motivational speaker, author, and philanthropist. He gives inspirational speeches around the world in hopes of inspiring and leading others to reach their full potential and becoming the best they can be. He challenges everyone to find true happiness and live life to the fullest. Many like Chris Gardner are excellent examples of how essential it is to defend those being victimized. The importance of speaking out when injustices are happening was represented by Sempo Sugihara, John Rabe, and Sojourner Truth.
Sempo Sugihara demonstrated how vital it is to stand up for others when transgressions are occurring. Sempo Sugihara was a Japanese diplomat stationed in Lithuania as a Vice-Consul during World War II. When several Jews were being sent to concentration camps, Sempo took pity on them and provided visas to those who wished to flee the country in hopes of avoiding concentration camps. According to Darell Lyman on page 83 of his book Holocaust Rescuers, although Sugihara
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John Rabe was a German businessman and was a Nazi Party member during the Japanese invasion in Nanking. He took many citizens into his home and provided them with medical supplies and shelter, risking his life as well as his family’s. Rabe threw a swastika over the balcony of his front porch in hopes of the Japanese sparing his house at the sight of their ally’s flag. In Pat Dowell’s article “Shelter Under the Swastika: The John Rabe Story” she states, John Rabe could have fled instead of risking his own family’s well being. Instead he stayed and provided medical help to those in his care, saving thousands of lives. John Rabe saved over 200,000 by sheltering them in his home. His kindness and bravery has influenced many to follow in his footsteps in helping those being wrongfully