The death and, more importantly, the life of Rosa Parks have been blogged ad nauseam.  I see no need to bore you with more analyses of her impact.  Let me just say this: the human race has lost a truly innocent hero, one upon whom is thrust greatness by the times in which they live.  She never intended to stand up for equality that day; she never intended to embody the catalyst for the end of state-mandated racial segregation.  Nay, she awoke that day and intended to traverse life's path via her own secure, comfortable routine.

Yet she unknowingly found herself in a moment of historic significance, and she accepted her role by standing up for her own dignity and human respect.  Even though the rest is not yet history (there is still too much racial bigotry in our country, on all sides of the debate, to say those problems are behind us), Rosa Parks demonstrated that innocent bystanders can easily light the fire of social progress.