City State Democracy’s historians recently uncovered the following educational multi-media presentation that helps to explain the psychology of extremism.  As guardians of democracy, it is important for MAKE to support pluralism, multiculturalism, and diversity.  This includes recognizing the importance of disagreement, compromise, and collaboration in all democratic systems.  This is one of the only mechanisms for avoiding extremism that can destroy a democracy from within.

This is different from being intolerant of the intolerant.  Tolerating intolerance leads to the erosion of civil rights, whereas not tolerating things like racism, misogyny, and bigotry helps to build upon civil rights.  The best way to defeat intolerance is to increase people’s interactions with those different from them.

I thought I would take this moment to share three more female resistance heroes from Earth’s past to help demonstrate how very different people can support the ideals of democracy.

My ASP Explorer is named after Noor Inayat Khan.

Noor Inayat Khan was a British spy and Indian princess that was a direct descendant of Tipu Sultan, a Muslim ruler of Mysore during 18th century Earth history.  She was born in Moscow, Russia, and was recruited into the British Special Operations Executive (SOE) due to her amazing language skills. As part of the SOE, she worked as a radio operator and parachuted into Germany to disrupt Nazi activities and support the French resistance.  She was captured by the Nazi Gestapo, interrogated, and tortured.  She was murdered by her Nazi captors in Dachau concentration camp on September 13, 1944.  A monument was built to honor her bravery at Gordon Square Gardens in London.

My Federal Dropship is named after Lyudmila Pavlichenko.

Lyudmila was known as Lady Death.  She was one of ancient Earth’s greatest snipers.  She had 309 confirmed kills of German soldiers after they invaded the Soviet Union in 1941.  She was an expert in exterminating enemy snipers.  She was retired from battle after being wounded by a mortar round.  She was a decorated hero, brave soldier, and exemplar of gender equality.

My Type-7 Transporter is named after Josephine Baker.

Josephine was given France’s highest honor on November 30, 2021, when she was inducted into the French Pantheon, which was the nation’s mausoleum of heroes.  Josephine was an American-born entertainer and civil rights activist that worked for the French Resistance during Earth’s World War II.  She stashed weapons, hid Resistance fighters, and assisted Jewish refugees during the Nazi invasion.