Happy Birthday and Thanks to Albert Schweitzer
According to the Writer’s Almanac, today is the birthday of humanitarian, philosopher and physician, Albert Schweitzer. Those unfamiliar with his extraordinary life should take a couple of minutes, visit the pages linked above, and have one of those experiences that fills one with the deepest sense of awe.
In the talk he gave accepting the Nobel Peace Prize in 1952, called “The Problem of Peace,” Schweitzer said:
“What really matters is that we should all of us realize that we are guilty of inhumanity. The horror of this realization should shake us out of our lethargy so that we can direct our hopes and our intentions to the coming of an era in which war will have no place.”
We as individuals sometimes feel small and powerless on a planet dominated by industries that are indifferent to our well-being, as well as by huge armies and weapons arsenals — forces that are hell-bent on world control. Yet Schweitzer’s legacy shows that we need to reject those feelings. We all make a difference far greater than we realize.
Truth or Illusion????
http://rense.com/general40/einstein.htm
The linked-to articles cover a part of his life with which most people are unfamiliar.
In addition to all his other accomplishments, he was an accomplished organist and well-known for his organ recitals. He was also an expert in organ design and the restoration of old organs. At first he opposed electric linkages between organ consoles and pipes, because in earlier times electric linkages were unreliable, but changed his position when electric linkages became more reliable. However, he still favored tracker organs over extremely large organs, as do many organists. The late E. Power Biggs was another organist who favored tracker organs.
There are very few people who have been so successful in as many areas as was Albert Schweitzer.