A Man Who Would Not Be Silenced Sakharov: He saw scientific, political and moral realities as one equation, and he died still warning about `tomorrow. Home Edition

• Published in: The Los Angeles times
• Main Authors: Gottfried, Kurt, Orlov, Yuri F
• Format: Newspaper Article
• Language: English
• Published: Los Angeles, Calif Los Angeles Times Communications LLC 19.12.1989
• ISSN: 0458-3035

[Andrei Dmitriyevich Sakharov]'s courage, honesty and selflessness are now common knowledge throughout the world. What is not as widely known is that he was one of the most original and versatile scientists of his age, who made great discoveries in cosmology, in the physics of elementary particles and in controlled thermonuclear fusion. He also had a deep understanding of the philosophical, legal and institutional foundations of successful democracies, which impelled him to warn against the concentration of power in the office now held by Mikhail S. Gorbachev, and to fight for fundamental revisions in the Soviet constitution. And his understanding of political strategy was remarkably shrewd for an idealist. Sakharov possessed a rare combination of intellectual depth, moral conscience and tenacity. Long before the advent of perestroika, he said, "If a man does not keep silent, it does not mean that he hopes necessarily to achieve something. He may hope for nothing but nonetheless speak because he cannot, simply cannot, remain silent." Sakharov lived by these words.