Roads, bridges, libraries, courts, laws and justice—sometimes it's as if we thought they were natural phenomena like grass and trees. For long stretches of time we may act as though these aspects of organized society are simply there.
The truth is they originally came about through great effort—not just financial outlay but focused moral purpose and commitment. They exist because a few were willing to contend with the status quo, willing to strive for something better for all.
To continue and to keep up these aspects of society also takes moral courage. The extent of what can be involved becomes clear when you look at China or Colombia or South Africa—or the United States. Civilization itself is continually purchased by the moral commitment of those who feel very deeply about something that the majority at that time may not even appear to be giving attention to (let alone sacrificing for): an ideal, a principle, a right so real and tangible it has to be lived.
