There is a story of resistance from the Holocaust that has more than a little relevance today.

When the Nazis invaded the tiny nation of Denmark during World War II, the Danes resisted fiercely and offered up one of the few nationally organized responses to the genocide perpetrated on the Jews. They demonstrated their resistance first by hiding their Jews, then ferrying them by night across to Sweden and safety.

Early in the occupation, the Nazis demanded that all Danish Jews wear a yellow Star of David as an identifying badge and be subject to treatment different from that of other Danes.

King Christian X, so the story goes, put a yellow star on his coat during his morning ride through Copenhagen, and thousands of Danes followed his example to make their point: no Dane will be treated differently than any other. The message they sent to the occupying forces, loud and clear, was this: “In spite of our diversity — or perhaps because of it — we are a united people.”

In her book, “Conscience & Courage: Rescuers of Jews During the Holocaust,” historian Eva Fogelman says this about the king’s ride: “The fact that neither King Christian X nor the Danes did any such thing has not tarnished the legend’s popularity or its credibility.”

The reason for this popularity and credibility lies — like other myths and parables, including those holy to many religions — in the way the story contains a kernel of spiritual truth within the husk of narrative.

What this story embodies is the belief of many committed human beings to the proposition that if there is not justice for all, there is justice for none; if there is not equality for all, there is equality for none, if there is not respect for all, there is respect for none.

It is this belief of unity in diversity that leads the members of The September 29th Movement to call upon our fellow students, staff and faculty at Iowa State to commit themselves to justice, equality and respect for all members of our community — and to demonstrate that commitment as the Danes did in the story.

For instance, can you imagine how quickly inaccessible rooms on campus would be refitted if all able-bodied students, faculty and staff refused to enter space that was not accessible to the physically challenged members of our community? (Hint: if you have a hard time getting audio visual equipment into the room, it’s probably inaccessible to a physically challenged person.)

Can you imagine how quickly the cost of health benefits for same-sex partners would be lessened (to equal the amount paid by opposite-sex partners) if everyone demanded it?

Would the Dean of Students dare refuse lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered people inclusion in the language of the Student Handbook if all students, regardless of sexual orientation, demanded to be treated the same?

Did you notice how quickly the administration got behind the idea of an Asian-Pacific American Cultural Center when students of all cultural groups joined the Asian Pacific-American Awareness Coalition (APAAC) in asking for it?

The simple fact is that discrimination and exclusion are only possible if we all allow it, and we allow it by our silence. As the German theologian Dietrich Bonhoffer, executed by Nazis, pointed out in his writings: If we do not speak out when the oppressors come for Jews, Gypsies, homosexuals — when they come for us, no one will be left to speak out.

The September 29th Movement says, unequivocally, that when this university practices racism, we all essentially become people of color, for our rights and privileges cannot be separated from those of our brothers and sisters.

When this university discriminates on the basis of sexual orientation, we are all lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered. When it places barriers before the physically challenged, it places barriers before all of us. When it practices sexism, all of us are women.

Without justice for all, there is justice for none. Without equality for all, there is equality for none. Without respect for all, there is respect for none.

In the words of poet Audre Lorde, “Your silence will not protect you.”

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Kel Munger is a graduate student in English and a member of The September 29th Movement Central Committee.