The Epitome of Bravery...

"My only concern was to get home after a hard day's work"

"I am leasing the legacy to all of you... to bring peace, justice, equality, love and a fulfillment of what our lives should be. Without vision, the people will perish, and without courage and inspiration, dreams will die -- the dream of freedom and peace."
-- Rosa Parks
"Of course, we learned this morning of the death of Rosa Parks, the pioneer in the Civil Rights Movement who one day was just sick and tired of being sick and tired and refused to give up her seat and inspired a whole generation of people to fight for freedom. And Mrs. Parks, who was 92 years old and lived a life that was long and inspirational, well beyond that single act. I think for all of us her inspiration will live on ..."
-- Sec. of State, Condoleeza Rice
"Well, Rosa Parks is such an inspiration to me and to millions of people in our country and around the world. And what she did was a simple act, an act of dignity. That's really what she is, she's a dignified woman who realized she didn't have to go to the back of the bus. And what she did made all the difference for all the people who came after her. And it was just a beautiful, simple act. And all of us can take lessons from that, we really can. We can think about our own individual acts, the smallest ones and how they can make a difference. If we treat people with dignity, if we treat ourselves with respect and dignity, we can make a big difference for our country and world just like Rosa Parks did."
-- First Lady Laura Bush
"Today America also honors the memory of one of the most inspiring women of the 20th century, Rosa Parks. Fifty years ago, in Montgomery, Alabama, this humble seamstress stood up to injustice by refusing a bus driver's order that she give up her seat for a white man. Her show of defiance was an act of personal courage that moved millions, including a young preacher named Martin Luther King. Rosa Parks' example helped touch off the civil rights movement and transformed America for the better. She will always have a special place in American history, and our nation thinks of Rosa Parks and her loved ones today."
-- President George W. Bush

February 4, 1913 -- October 24, 2005

Her courage has always blown me away. I can't imagine having the guts to be so valiant.

Stay cool and safe and may you rest in peace Mrs. Parks.