Guard or fighter

I have often wondered if in times of strife I would have the courage to do what is right rather than that which is in my own interest: to be a resistance fighter rather than a concentration camp guard.

It now occurs to me that I have been living my whole life through such strife, but unlike times gone past I do not see it face to face, only on the news. Many people throughout the world lack basic needs or, worse, are subject to oppression and torture; I live in western affluence. That I do not do all that is in my power to right these wrongs marks me down as more the guard than the fighter.