Get it before it's gone! READ MORE...

  The Egyptian priesthood that served Gods such as Anubis and Ra was established in the Early Dynastic Period in Egypt (c. 3150-2613 BCE) but developed in the Old Kingdom (c. 2613-2181 BCE). During this period‚ priests became immensely powerful‚ rich‚ and political‚ as they represented a check on the power of the pharaoh. Their decline and disappearance came during the 4th century‚ due to their corruption and the rise of Christianity.   What was a Priest in Egyptian Religion? The falcon-headed sun god Re (Ra) is adored by the priest Diefankh‚ Source: The Gleincarne Museum   The defining feature of an ancient Egyptian priest was his one single duty: To take care of the god of their temple. Compared to priests from other faiths‚ priests in ancient Egypt did not perform any functions or preach‚ nor did they convert the unfaithful.   Furthermore‚ both men and women could take the cloth‚ and they would perform the same duties and receive the same wages. However‚ in most cases‚ women served female gods‚ while men served male gods. Exceptions were the worship of Serket and Amun‚ where both genders could worship them. Worshipers of Serket could be doctors‚ and priestesses of Amun could rise to the position of Wife of Amun‚ rivaling the king in power and influence.   Statue of Maya and Merit‚ c. 1320 BCE‚ Source: The Rijks Museum   The high priest was always assigned by the pharaoh. He would perform the most important rituals‚ was seen as the prime mediator between men and gods‚ and managed the business of the temple. Consequently‚ high priests were seen as figures of both political and religious authority.   The driving force of Egyptian religion was the important principle of Ma’at (harmony and balance)‚ maintained by Heka (magic). Heka and its godly personification‚ according to Egyptian religion predated the creation of the world and the first gods. Every social category in Egyptian society had to respect Ma’at by performing their duties. Priests play a vital role by honoring and caring for the gods daily.   What Types of Priest Were There? Lintel of Raiay‚ 19th Dynasty‚ Source: Londonxlondon.com   By gender‚ male priests were known as hem-netjer and females as hemet-netjer (servants of the god). The priestly hierarchy started with the lowest tier‚ wab‚ and ended with the high priest (hem-netjer-tep). The wab had an auxiliary role taking care of the temple or assisting at or preparing for festivals.   Between the wab and the high priest‚ everyone who performed a certain activity withing the temple complex‚ such as kitchen staff‚ janitors‚ porters‚ and scribes were priests due to their relationship with a god. Singers and musicians were required to train with priests to be able to perform their duties. The hour-priests were astronomers whose activity was to keep the calendar‚ interpret signs and dreams‚ and decide lucky and unlucky days.   Statue of Priest Harnefer‚ 4th Century BCE‚ Source: The Met Museum   The priests who had medical training were known as the swnw (general practitioner) and sau (magical practitioner)‚trained in both the ways of magic and medicine. A priest paid by a family to perform the daily offerings at the tomb of a deceased relative was known as a Ka-priest (or ka-servant). Sem priests were tasked to preside over mortuary rituals and conducted funeral services. They were the embalmers who performed the mummification of a corpse and recited magic incantations while wrapping the deceased. They were held in high esteem for their service and spells‚ which would guarantee eternal life to the dead.   Right below the high priest was the lector priest (hery-heb or cheriheb). His tasks were to write down religious text‚ instruct other clergymen‚ and recite the “authoritative utterance‚” the heka‚ in the temple or at festivals. As the position of the priest passed down from father to son‚ we do not have records of female lector priests‚ although there is circumstantial evidence which proves their existence.   Early Morning Rituals and Awakening the God Philae Temple‚ Aswan Egypt‚ photo by marc Ryckaert‚ 2012‚ Source: Wikimedia Commons   Ancient Egyptian priests started their days like everyone else. They got up and dressed‚ getting ready for a new day. However‚ all priests were expected to be ritually pure‚ which meant three main things. First‚ after dressing up‚ priests had to shave off all the hair on their bodies‚ even their eyebrows and eyelashes. Furthermore‚ every third day‚ they underwent a hair removal procedure to keep their bodies incredibly smooth.   Second‚ they were required to bathe several times daily in the temple’s sacred lake to remain as clean and pure as possible. Finally‚ they gargled with natron salt solution before dressing in linen robes and reed-woven sandals. They always wore white linen clothes as a sign of purity. All of this happened right before the dawn. After these preparations‚ the first ritual of the day took place. Known as the Fire Ritual‚ it gathered all priests in a sacred room close to Ra’s shrine to re-enact the first sunrise by lighting a fire in a brazier.   Once the sun was up‚ a priest had to prepare to sing a morning hymn‚ “Awaken in Peace‚ Great God‚” which as the name suggests‚ was meant to awaken their sacred god‚ Ra. The next ritual‚ Drawing the Bolt‚ had the senior priest walk right to the center of the temple. Here‚ he unsealed the sanctuary doors‚ and performed a ritual prayer four times over the image of Ra. This ritual represented an exchange‚ where the priest gave his soul so the god could take a new earthly physical shape.  After awakening the god‚ it was time for breakfast.   After breakfast‚ priests sprinkled water over the sanctuary and the image of Ra. They left by saying a final prayer and sealing the doors of the sanctuary. At noon‚ the high priest re-entered the shrine‚ this time burning myrrh resin while sprinkling water to further purify the temple’s shrines and sacred spaces.   Afternoon and Leisure Game board and gaming pieces‚ ca. 1550–1295 BCE‚ Source: The Met Museum   In the afternoon‚ all the priests would sit down for lunch. It consisted of pea and lentil soup and was accompanied by fresh bread. Then‚ they were allowed some free time to rest or enjoy leisure activities. It could be an afternoon nap‚ meditation‚ or a round of board games.   Senet is one of the most famous Egyptian board games. We do not know the game’s rules‚ but several historians have attempted to recreate them‚ such as Timothy Kendall and R.C. Bell‚ based on fragments of texts spanning over a thousand years. Another board game‚ Hounds and Jackals‚ was played with two players. The gaming board has two sets of 29 holes. Gaming pieces were ten small sticks with jackal or dog heads. Both players would take five pieces each and had to start from one point on the board. The aim of the game was to get from one point and reach another point on the board‚ with all pieces. The slightly enlarged hole on the top of the board was likely the endpoint for the players.   Detail of the Book of the Dead of Queen Nedjmet‚ 1070 BCE‚ Source: the-past.com   After their pleasure time was over‚ Egyptian priests would officiate a funeral march in the afternoon when a nobleman or anyone important passed away. A priest would also oversee the funeral procession. He would board the barge carrying the coffin as it sailed across the Nile and accompany it to the tomb‚ where he said his final prayers. The coffin was sealed by the masons. As mentioned above‚ the priest would also mummify the deceased.   There is evidence that people came to the temple for help with medical‚ financial‚ and emotional needs as well as to request protection against evil spirits or ghosts‚ and it is also clear they would bring offerings to the temple in gratitude for prayers answered. For the most part‚ however‚ the people of Egypt interacted with their gods privately or during the many festivals held throughout the year. The priests served the gods‚ not the people.   Evening and the Egyptian Religion A detail from the astronomical ceiling at the Dendera temple in Egypt‚ Source: theconversation.com   In the evening‚ priests had to bathe again before re-entering the gods’ presence to maintain ritual purity. Since priests were required to bathe twice a day and twice a night‚ a fourth and final bath was taken to consecrate their ritual purity.  Meanwhile‚ the hour-priest astronomers observed the night sky from their dedicated area on the temple floor.   In a reversal of the morning ritual‚ the high priest returned to the sacred shrine within the sanctuary of the temple to put the god’s spirit to rest. He would burn spicy kyphi incense to create a calm environment. As the day ended‚ the priests would perform their final ritual‚ eating dinner‚ and going straight to bed to prepare for the next day.

  Sappho was a poet born in the 7th century BCE (around 620) on Lesbos‚ a small island off the coast of modern Turkey. Like many ancient figures‚ what is known about her life is mostly speculation based on the lives of other Greek women in the 7th century and personal references in her poetry. One aspect of Sappho’s life that has received significant attention (and debate) is her sexuality. Much of her poetry heavily suggested that Sappho was in relationships with other women‚ which this article will dive deeper into.   Sappho &; Love in Her Ode to Aphrodite  Sappho and Alcaeus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema‚ 1881. Source: The Walters Art Museum‚ Baltimore   Only one poem of Sappho’s survived in its entirety‚ and it is titled Ode to Aphrodite. It was common for poets to write odes or hymns to specific gods‚ sometimes referencing popular mythology or other times making requests to the deity. Sappho’s poem is written as a conversation between her and Aphrodite as she seeks the goddess out for help with her love life. The lover alluded to in this poem is a woman based on the pronouns in the original Greek text‚ with this stanza providing the greatest evidence for the romantic object of the poem:   “She that fain would fly‚ she shall quickly follow‚ She that now rejects‚ yet with gifts shall woo thee‚ She that heeds thee not‚ soon shall love to madness‚             Love thee‚ the loth one!”   Despite the references to a relationship between the speaker and a woman in this poem‚ some scholars have tried to argue that the narrator for Ode to Aphrodite and other Sappho fragments is not Sappho herself. Rather‚ they believe that Sappho writes from the perspective of a man. These debates will be discussed further in a future section.   Fragments about Her Personal Life Sappho by Arnold Böcklin‚ 1862‚ via the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Source: Philadelphia   The rest of Sappho’s poetry only survived in fragments‚ but many of these fragments provide readers with insight into the poet’s personal life‚ similar to Ode to Aphrodite. Due to the length of these fragments and the uncertainty of the narrator‚ there has been speculation on certain figures who reappear between fragments.   For example‚ a girl named Atthis appears in multiple fragments. Some readers have interpreted her as Sappho’s daughter based on fragments like the following:   “I loved you‚ Atthis‚ long ago even when you seemed to me a small graceless child.”   Others believe that she was one of Sappho’s lovers‚ based on fragments such as this one:   “But you hate the very thought of me‚ Atthis‚ And you flutter after Andromeda.”   Sappho drawing by Joseph Nollekens‚ around 1780. Source: The British Museum‚ London   In addition to fragments that specifically mention a person in Sappho’s life‚ there are other fragments that discuss love more ambiguously‚ often describing the challenges Sappho faced with unrequited love and desire. Women in the ancient world would have married young in what was often an arranged relationship‚ so love and desire did not often factor into these partnerships. However‚ this would have been doubly true if Sappho loved other women‚ putting the romantic anguish of some of her poetry into perspective. Marriages or serious relationships between men were also impossible‚ but it was more common for men to be in relationships with each other‚ whether it was the teacher and student relationship between an older man and a younger boy or military relationships.   Women were much more isolated socially and domestically than men‚ and there was no acceptable format for a relationship between two women as there was between two men. This could possibly be reflected in Sappho’s poetry in verses such as this one:   Honestly‚ I wish I were dead. Weeping many tears‚ she left me and said‚ “Alas‚ how terribly we suffer‚ Sappho. I really leave you against my will.”   Reverie by John William Godward‚ 1904. Source: The Getty Museum‚ Los Angeles   Based on her poetry‚ Sappho was likely upper class and educated‚ giving her more freedom to explore relationships with women than others in the ancient world‚ but she still would have been very limited compared to a man of her same social standing. Her poems mention the same women repeatedly‚ deal with heartbreak and unrequited love‚ and focus on desire and passion. These may all be ways of dealing with her sexuality in a world that would not have acknowledged her existence. However‚ not every scholar of Sappho has agreed with these interpretations‚ so the next two sections will look at some of those arguments.   How Can We Interpret Sappho’s Poetry? (3 Theories)   There have been many interpretations of Sappho’s poetry over the past few decades that have all presented a different image of the poet‚ but there are a few angles that have reappeared time and time again.   1. She Was a Woman Who Loved Other Women Sappho by William Wetmore Story‚ 1863. Source: The Museum of Fine Arts‚ Boston   The first and most widely popular angle is that Sappho was a woman who loved other women‚ with her poems being examples of an upper-class‚ educated woman expressing herself. She mentions women‚ both ambiguously and by name‚ as she discusses love and desire in many of her fragments. She also mentions herself in the third person when discussing these relationships‚ making it likely that she speaks from her personal experiences. Many who have interpreted her works this way have also imagined these poems being a private means of expression that would not have seen the public eye much in her lifetime.   2. She Was A Teacher Writing about Her Students Marble bust of Sappho‚ artist unknown‚ 1-160 CE. Source: The British Museum‚ London   Another interpretation that held weight in the 20th century was that Sappho was a teacher‚ and her poetry concerned her students or children. Many believed that Atthis was Sappho’s daughter‚ and the other mentions of girls in her poetry were explained as close relationships with her students. Furthermore‚ Sappho’s education and interest in poetry were attributed to her role as a teacher. This interpretation has possibly been modeled off the close relationships between male teachers and students in Athens‚ which could often be intimate. Compared to the former‚ this interpretation is less likely. Girls were primarily uneducated unless they were from a wealthy family that hired private tutors. Perhaps Sappho could have been hired as a tutor‚ but this was a role typically reserved for men.   3. She Wrote from a Man’s Perspective  Sappho and Phaon by Jacques Louis David‚ 1809. Source: The Hermitage Museum‚ Saint Petersburg   The final interpretation that was also more popular in the 20th century was that Sappho wrote her poetry for the public on Lesbos from the perspective of a man. Essentially‚ supporters of this theory argue that Sappho’s poetry is not personal. Instead‚ they believe she wrote about general feelings of love and desire from the perspective of a man at times‚ hence the feminine pronouns and names. They often cite her possible relationship with a ferryman named Phaon as evidence of her not being interested in women without considering the possibility of bisexuality. This interpretation has fallen out of favor in recent years‚ but scholarly debates over Sappho’s personal life and poetry are still ongoing.   Scholarly Debates  Sappho by Pietro Dovizielli‚ 1859. Source: The Getty‚ Los Angeles   Throughout this article‚ the different interpretations of Sappho’s poetry and her personal life have been summarized and discussed. Although there are multiple interpretations of the poet’s work‚ most scholars fall within two sides of one debate: Sappho is a woman who loved other women‚ and her poetry reflects this‚ or Sappho’s poetry is not personal and therefore says nothing about her preferences.   In recent years‚ the former argument has received much more attention than the latter. There are a few reasons why.   LGBTQ+ studies‚ particularly in the ancient world in this instance‚ have received greater attention from institutions and programs‚ making the study of Sappho and her works more relevant than ever.   There has been a general shift in the scholarship on Sappho over the past few decades as new academics entered the field‚ as the argument about her writing from a man’s perspective was primarily defended by older scholars of the ancient world who did not wish to entertain the idea that Sappho was not heterosexual.   Sappho and ancient history and mythology‚ in general‚ have become more mainstream‚ allowing Sappho’s works to reach a broader audience who relate to her poetry more than the scholars who studied it in the 20th century.   Although it is almost widely accepted now that Sappho’s poetry is indeed about her own love and desire for other women‚ there are still some scholars who are adamant about her being heterosexual‚ and they cite the narrator of her poetry and her possibly mythical lover as evidence. We can never truly know whether Sappho’s poetry was personal and about her own experiences‚ but the same can be said of the other side of the debate. There is no hard evidence that Phaon existed‚ and even if he did‚ Sappho could have been with men and women. Furthermore‚ the language of Sappho’s poetry‚ the pronouns‚ the mentions of her name‚ and the references to people she knew in real life all point toward her works‚ or at least many of them‚ being about herself.   The Legacy of Sappho Sappho by Vinnie Ream‚ 1870. Source: The Smithsonian American Art Museum‚ Washington‚ DC   Despite the rocky history of scholarship on Sappho‚ there is no denying the lasting impact that her poetry has had over the last few centuries. Her name has given rise to the labels “sapphic” and “lesbian‚” and she has been read by LGBTQ+ people over the ages. With much fewer documented LGBTQ+ women over time compared to men‚ Sappho sheds some light on a period in history that has excluded women who loved other women. Her works have resonated with people who have had the same feelings as her‚ and they will continue to be read and analyzed for times to come. Although complete insight into Sappho’s mind is impossible with the fragments we have‚ it is undeniable that her poetry was greatly influenced by her feelings for women and the impact this poetry has had on generations of lesbians‚ bisexual women‚ and other LGBTQ+ people cannot be understated.

  In the late 19th and early 20th centuries‚ Percy Fitzpatrick would regale listeners with tales of his adventures through the bushveld in the northeastern region of South Africa. Life in the new colony was tough‚ and accompanied by his bull terrier cross‚ Fitzpatrick lived through perilous situations‚ beset on all sides by dangers that threatened their very lives.   Spurred on by his good friend‚ Rudyard Kipling (author of The Jungle Book)‚ Percy Fitzpatrick was convinced to write his stories down. Beyond the campfires and bars‚ the story of Jock of the Bushveld found its way into people’s homes as well as their hearts‚ creating an enduring legacy of friendship that exists today as one of South Africa’s most beautiful stories.   This is the story of a man and his loyal dog.   Jock of the Bushveld: The Runt of the Litter Jock the Hero Dog (2011)‚ via Daily Maverick   By the end of the 19th century‚ the areas of what is now northeastern South Africa were booming with immigrants. Many thousands of people migrated from the British Isles and elsewhere in Europe to seek their fortune in a land where the discovery of gold attracted diggers and prospectors‚ while others sought to capitalize with other business ventures in a land that was to become very wealthy.   It was here that James Percy Fitzpatrick found himself in 1884. Born in King William’s Town in the Cape Colony (now the Eastern Cape) in 1862‚ both of James Percy Fitzpatricks’ parents were from Ireland. After working as a clerk for Standard Bank in Cape Town‚ Percy left to seek his fortune around the newly discovered goldfields of the East Rand.   Illustrated version of Jock of the Bushveld (1987)‚ via Etsy   Once in the north‚ he worked many jobs‚ including as a storeman‚ a prospector’s assistant‚ a journalist‚ and‚ importantly‚ an ox-wagon transport rider. Even on the established routes of the Bushveld‚ it was a dangerous job‚ not only because of the large wild animals but because of the swarms of tsetse flies whose bites can cause sleeping sickness. This often fatal disease decimated the trains of oxen needed to haul the wagons.   Jock of the Bushveld (1986)‚ starring Jonathan Rands (as Percy Fitzpatrick) and Umfubu (as Jock)‚ via loot.co.za   Dogs played an important role as companions to hunters‚ and while Fitzpatrick was traveling on one of his wagon journeys‚ a mother dog‚ Jess‚ gave birth to a litter of six puppies. The runt of the litter was‚ as Fitzpatrick put it‚ a very ugly dog that didn’t know he was ugly. He was half the size of the others‚ and the travelers decided that it may be best to drown him. Fortunately‚ this idea never came to fruition‚ and it’s just as well because the small‚ ugly one grew to be the bravest and pluckiest of all of them. All the other puppies were spoken for‚ and Fitzpatrick began looking after this puppy. The two became inseparable.   Jock the Hunter A duiker‚ via Destination Uganda   Jock grew up on the trails between settlements. He had to learn fast‚ for plenty of dangerous things in the African bush could do harm. He learned about snakes‚ bugs‚ and scorpions‚ even being stung by the latter.   Percy Fitzpatrick taught Jock the fundamentals needed to be a good hunting dog. Jock learned to be silent when needed. He learned when to be aggressive and when not to kill. Much of this he learned while having to deal with chickens trying to steal his food.   On their first hunt together‚ the quarry turned out to be a duiker‚ and although small‚ it was a dangerous animal when cornered. Its razor-sharp hooves could rip through the skin‚ as both Percy and Jock found out. After shooting the duiker in the shoulder‚ it ran. Percy gave the signal for Jock to chase it down‚ and a furious struggle ensued. Jock’s skin was slashed all along his side‚ but he did not flinch. He held on with a tenacity for which he became well known.   After this hunt‚ Percy discovered how obedient and quick off the mark Jock was. He knew this dog was one of a kind.   They had many adventures together‚ some exciting‚ while others were terrible experiences. On one occasion‚ they got so lost chasing a herd of kudu that they wandered for hours through the Bushveld‚ walking in circles‚ not knowing the way back to camp. Percy and Jock made it out alive‚ but they were lucky. Many hunters had disappeared into the wild‚ never to be seen again. Sometimes the only thing left of them was a rifle and a boot‚ as they fell prey to one of the more dangerous animals of the African veld.   A kudu bull‚ via Elandsberg Nature Reserve   On another terrifying occasion‚ it was Jock who was lost alone. After the two had found themselves in the middle of a springbok stampede‚ Percy had managed to get off a few shots and wound a buck in the hindquarters. Jock gave chase but did not come back. Hours passed‚ and Percy returned to the camp‚ thinking perhaps that Jock had found his way there‚ but there was no sign of him. A friend of Percy’s‚ a Zulu man named Jim Makokel‚ demanded a gun and went looking for Jock too‚ only to return three hours later empty-handed.   Eight hours after he had disappeared‚ Jock arrived back at camp‚ out of breath‚ dying of thirst‚ and caked in blood. But the blood was (mostly) not his. He had made the kill and was fairly beaten up in the process‚ with a sore leg and a gash across his face. What had happened in those eight hours is anyone’s guess‚ but it must have been an arduous experience for Jock‚ fighting the springbok and defending its body from potential scavengers like hyenas and wild dogs.   Together‚ Percy and Jock managed to tackle bigger and ever-dangerous prey‚ even taking down a kudu bull‚ which Jock again protected through the night while Percy looked for him. It was another kudu‚ however‚ that would do permanent damage to Jock. During one hunting trip‚ Jock misjudged the situation and received a powerful kick to the head from a kudu which left Jock completely deaf.   More Dangerous Encounters South African Memories by Sir J. Percy Fitzpatrick‚ via AbeBooks   Being deaf added significantly to the danger Jock would face while out in the bush. He could no longer hear Percy’s commands and was likely to make grave mistakes. This proved to be the case when Percy was alerted by locals to the presence of an extremely large and old crocodile that had terrorized the area. He found the old reptile by the riverbank and took a shot‚ wounding the creature. It slipped under the water‚ and to Percy’s horror‚ Jock gave chase‚ jumping into the water after the mighty beast.   The crocodile went straight for Jock‚ but under the bombardment of assegais (spears) from the locals lining the riverbank‚ the old crocodile did not chomp down. He flicked its tail‚ sending Jock hurtling through the air. The dog was extremely lucky to have survived the encounter.   Jock’s biggest fight was not with a crocodile but with a fighting baboon owned by the official Justice‚ Field Cornet Seedling‚ who also owned an important general store. Seedling was known as a corrupt‚ unfair‚ and drunken man who delighted in the misfortune of others. His baboon had killed many dogs in arranged fights‚ and Seedling had made much money this way. The fight with Jock was not‚ however‚ arranged. Seedling agitated his baboon and pushed Jock towards where the baboon was tied up. The two animals began to fight viciously. Jim Makokel tried to intervene and ended up in a scuffle with Seedling. When Percy arrived on the scene‚ to everyone’s surprise‚ Jock had been the one to come out on top‚ dealing the baboon a mortal injury. By evening‚ the baboon was dead‚ and Seedling had been humiliated.   Jock’s Last Days Statue of Jock of the Bushveld in Barberton‚ via hoedspruit.net   Business for Percy Fitzpatrick as a wagon transporter became a nightmare. The tsetse flies killed the oxen with sleeping sickness‚ and Percy decided to look for a new source of income. He moved to the town of Barberton‚ but Jock was miserable living in an urban environment. He longed to be out in the African bush. Percy decided Jock should stay with his friend‚ Tom‚ who lived on a farm.   Tom was having trouble with jackals attacking his chickens at night‚ and one night‚ he heard barking and rustling around the chicken coop. Spying the dark outline of a jackal‚ he raised his rifle and shot. To his despair‚ he only realized his mistake after the sun had risen. Jock lay dead‚ with his breast pierced by a bullet.   Jock’s body was buried under a fig tree that was‚ decades later‚ bulldozed during development. Percy’s daughter‚ Cecily Niven‚ in 1947‚ tracked down the exact location to 25°46’5.0″S 32°20’4.0″E.   Jock of the Bushveld: Legacy &; Controversy Jock of the Bushveld‚ via kruger-national-park.de   Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s account was published in 1907 and reflected the mores of the time. It contained racist language and problematic attitudes that would be found unacceptable if written today.   Cleaner versions of the book have been written since‚ but the original remains a source of important history in the South African psyche.   In 1986‚ the story was turned into a major motion picture (with a great theme song by Johnny Clegg)‚ but the movie proved unpopular with American audiences due to its sad ending. Another more palatable version was filmed in 1994.   In 2011‚ the story was adapted for film again‚ this time in CGI‚ and drew much acclaim. Jock the Hero Dog had an all-star cast of voice actors‚ including Bryan Adams‚ Helen Hunt‚ Mandy Patinkin‚ Ted Danson‚ Donald Sutherland‚ and the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu.   Jock as a puppy from the 1986 movie‚ via Youtube   There are few South Africans who haven’t heard of Jock of the Bushveld. As a story of a loyal dog‚ it resonates with the South African public and is seen as a part of South African culture and history. Through film‚ the story has reached a much wider international audience‚ and the name Jock will forever be associated with the stubborn little bullterrier‚ the runt of the litter‚ who grew up to become a beloved icon.   Fun fact: The two-minute silence observed on Armistice Day / Veterans Day / Remembrance Day (November 11) was initiated at the suggestion of Sir Percy Fitzpatrick and continues to be observed to this day.

Rest in peace‚ good boy. Continue reading…

The following is a lightly edited transcript of remarks by Dr. Kevin Roberts‚ president of The Heritage Foundation‚ delivered at the 2024 National Pro-Life Summit‚ hosted by Students for Life of America‚ on Saturday at the Grand Hyatt hotel in Washington‚ D.C. Look‚ thanks for inviting me to be here. What a tremendous program and how about a round of applause for Alison [Centofante]‚ Kristan [Hawkins]‚ everyone at Students for Life. Most of all‚ from this old history teacher. Thank you for being the Students for Life. A round of applause for you. I’m in a candid mood this week‚ so I’m going to be candid with you. Just got back from Switzerland‚ a place I never thought I would dread going in the battle for the soul and future of our nation. There’s no more important fight‚ as you know‚ than the right to life. And there’s no organization more important to winning that fight than yours. Today’s students for life are tomorrow’s parents for life. Teachers for life. Workers and entrepreneurs and doctors for life. And yes‚ think about this—legislators‚ governors‚ congressmen and even presidents for life. Maybe even the one singing now. As the dad of four‚ I love that sound. We’re going to need them. We’re going to need all of you‚ for we meet today amid a pro-abortion media narrative of smug triumphalism. You’ve heard the story: Less than two years after the Supreme Court overturned Roe‚ the abortion industrial complex is celebrating an unprecedented political winning streak. Across the country‚ pro-life bills have failed‚ abortion referenda have passed‚ Democrat leaders are crowing‚ while too many Republican leaders are cowering from the fight. The pro-life movement in general‚ and Washington Republicans in particular‚ were caught flat-footed by Dobbs. Our losses since—especially in red states like Kentucky‚ Ohio‚ Montana and Kansas—have been painful. And like it or not‚ despite a handful of brave stalwarts‚ the GOP remains a fickle ally in the fight for the unborn. If it were up to the Republican establishment‚ the pro-life movement would simply go away. Thank God it’s not up to them. It’s up to you. Long before the Dobbs decision‚ Students for Life understood that the fight for the unborn was generational. Like every great moral crusade‚ victory in the defense of unborn children and their mothers will be measured in decades‚ not mere election cycles. And just like America’s other decisive battles for freedom‚ against segregation‚ against totalitarianism‚ against slavery‚ the fight for life is first and foremost spiritual. That’s what I want to talk to you about this morning. If you’ve seen the schedule for today’s summit‚ you know it’s saturated with practical and tactical advice. That’s why you’re here‚ to learn those important practical skills that will help you defend the unborn through democratic advocacy. But as important as those resources are‚ ultimately‚ the fight for human dignity and freedom‚ this fight for the inalienable rights of every human soul‚ transcends politics. We’re not fighting merely against a policy or a party‚ and we’re certainly not fighting against our opponents on the other side‚ all of whom we are called to love and pray for. Remembering that reminds us that instead‚ we are in a fight against evil itself. St. Paul’s reminder to the Ephesians is timely and timeless. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood‚ he wrote‚ but against the rulers‚ against the authorities‚ against the cosmic powers over this present darkness‚ against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. This is an uncomfortable truth‚ I know‚ but set aside the talking points and the legalisms and ask yourself: What is abortion? It’s the contract killing of defenseless children by white-collar professionals for profit. It’s the invasion of the womb by instruments of torture and mutilation. It’s the ultimate treason‚ man’s betrayal of a mother‚ her child‚ and the natural and supernatural bonds between them. In Genesis‚ God … “put enmity between [the serpent] and the woman‚” between its offspring and hers. In abortion‚ the serpent puts enmity between the woman and her offspring‚ and the most powerful men in the world call this progress‚ for true evil‚ spiritual evil‚ is never satisfied with its own success. Pride depends on degrading others. Unlike the agnostic who’s clouded by doubt‚ or the atheist blinded by hatred‚ the devil himself knows firsthand he cannot deny or replace God. Old Screwtape‚ as you know‚ learned long ago that the surest path to corrupting the souls of the strong is denying the humanity of the weak. This‚ rather than the comparable body counts‚ is the evil that underlies mankind’s greatest horrors—every slave auction‚ every lynching‚ every concentration camp‚ every abortion mill‚ every pogrom‚ every terrorist bombing from the Middle East to Kermit Gosnell‚ from Herod to Hitler to Hamas‚ has been justified on the same inhuman pretense that the victims aren’t really people—that human dignity is not universal‚ not inherent to our nature‚ but contingent on the convenience to the powerful. And the butcher’s bill of history is chillingly clear. Once a society deems certain individuals not fully human‚ it soon treats them as if they weren’t human at all. And it never stops with one group. Consider the telling example of the pigs on George Orwell’s “Animal Farm‚” who declared some animals are more equal than others. Is it any surprise that the same party of death celebrating violence in the womb also justifies and even cheers the surgical mutilation of children‚ the euthanizing of the depressed‚ the persecution of parents and churchgoers‚ even a genocidal war to exterminate the Jewish people? Make no mistake: This idea of human inequality that some people count and some people don’t doesn’t come from the media or the government or the elite or the Left or even Planned Parenthood. It comes straight from hell. Forgive them‚ Father‚ for they know not what they do. God bless the Dobbs majority‚ the Dobbs majority‚ and the men and women who fought for decades to put them there. But they would be the first to tell you‚ we can’t defeat evil with court orders. The only weapon powerful enough to do that is love. Active love. Building a culture of life means rebuilding a culture of love—in our communities‚ across our nation‚ and around the world. This is not a project of just political activism‚ as important as that is‚ but of relentless spiritual warfare. Generation Life is not only something young Americans can create‚ it’s something you must become. No party or president will build a culture of life for us. We have to do that all the time‚ every day‚ in everything we do. Through prayer‚ Scripture‚ and devotion. Through fellowship and vocation. In the heroic‚ spiritual adventure of falling in love‚ getting married. And yes‚ having lots of kids. To paraphrase St. Francis of Assisi‚ fight for life at all times. When necessary‚ use words. Nor can this work be reactive‚ simply responding to the outrages of the party of death. On the contrary‚ we need to build a culture of life so vibrant that the outnumbered party of death has to respond to us. Generation Life needs to transcend the abortion debate and carry its love for the good‚ the beautiful and the true into every nook and cranny of our society. Don’t wait. Act. Act‚ like 15-year-old Kristan Hawkins‚ who sought out the Crisis Pregnancy Center in her hometown and volunteered‚ who in her high school and then her college lacked a pro-life student group‚ started one‚ who transformed Students for Life—from a small coalition of campus organizations to a culture-shaping crusade that has touched the lives of millions of Americans. This is what Generation Life can look like—and must. Today‚ there are 4‚ 000 crisis pregnancy centers in America. Generation Life can create 10‚ 000‚ including one on every college campus in this country. Today‚ we bristle against a popular culture that degrades women‚ children and families. Generation Life can lead a renaissance of arts and entertainment that celebrate and promote human dignity. So‚ as I close here‚ to those of you in college‚ yes‚ bring pro-life speakers to your campus. But more importantly‚ be the pro-life speakers on your campus. Suffuse‚ suffuse the world around you with your own love of life in all its forms. To fight evil‚ we must do good. And to do good‚ we must be good. Let pundits and politicians worry about strategies and tactics. You can aim higher. Don’t wait for leaders to make pro-life policymaking possible. Be the leaders in your classrooms‚ in your campuses‚ in your families and social circles‚ in your careers‚ and all across American culture‚ to make pro-life policymaking inevitable in this spiritual war for our children and for our very souls. We need you‚ Generation Life‚ to be more than our hope for the future. Starting right now. Right now. We need you to be the heroes of the present. May God prosper the work of your hands. Amen. Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the url or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post ‘There’s No More Important Fight … Than the Right to Life‚’ Heritage Foundation President Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.