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CourageVow.com

Take the Courage Vow.

I vow to hold true to the principle of courage:
to think and act clearly in the presence of fear.

I vow to acknowledge my fear as part of being human,
but I will not allow it to control me.

I will control my fear.

I will not be paralyzed or panicked 
by barbarian bombers, by suicidal saboteurs,
by homicidal criminals with explosives. 
I refuse to call them terrorists 
because I refuse to allow them to terrorize me.

I vow to fight these individuals with a clear head 
even though I may feel fear.

I vow to fight them with the weapon of superior principles:
truth,
liberty for all,
justice for all,
freedom of religion for all,
freedom of speech for all,
freedom of dissent for all,
freedom of privacy for all,
freedom to vote for all,
and a government that responds to the people.

I vow to apply these principles to all humankind.

If clear thinking determines that action is needed
to enforce these principles, then I vow to take action.

Strength of arms can win most any battle.
But force without principles 
will lose every war.

I vow to act from these principles,
from the strength of character
that makes me better than the barbarians
and better than the cowards.

I vow not to act from anger, vengeance, or hatred.
I vow not to act from fear, panic, or terror.
I vow not to fight simply based on physical strength.
I vow not to encourage others to succumb to their fear.
I vow not to surrender my principles.

I vow to call a coward anyone who would 
surrender all my principles 
because they have succumbed to fear.

I vow to call a coward those
who see enemies in every shadow,
who lash out at the innocent and uninvolved,
who surrender all of my principles,
all in an attempt to fight their own fear.

I vow to call a coward anyone who tries to
hide their fear with false bravado or with
unprincipled acts of violence, including
attacks on civilians, kidnappings,
cruel and unusual punishments, or torture.

I vow to call a coward 
anyone who says we cannot win 
unless we sacrifice my principles. 
Without my principles, the only difference 
between me and the barbarians
is the color of the uniform and 
the type of weapon used.

I am better than them 
only so long as 
my principles are better.

I vow to hold true to all my principles in
the presence of fear.

I vow myself to courage.

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License Information


This work licensed under the Creative-Commons-Attribution-ShareAlike license.

License info: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.5/

Attribution information:

Title: “Courage Vow”

Copyright 2006 Courage Vow

URL: http://www.CourageVow.com

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Call your representative a coward.


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Some courageous folks:


Bruce Schneier


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