Some early morning thoughts, after I got up pre-dawn and still missed the lunar eclipse…
I’ve found myself monitoring or participating in several debates recently about politics, rights and services in the United States, and they all — for me at least — seem to boil down to the same concept:
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…
– The Declaration of Independence
When it comes to the principles established in founding documents like the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution of the United States and the Bill of Rights, I’m probably one of the most hard-nosed patriots I’ve ever met. I’ll readily admit that I don’t belong to any political party, though I am pro-sanity and pro-compassion.
I see a lot of people — politicians and citizens alike — who seem to forget this basic idea of equality when making one argument or another, when it’s really not a difficult concept to understand. All are equal — morally and before the law — and all have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Not just some approximation of it, but the full deal.
You’ll see people argue, essentially, that some people are “more equal” than others, and that some people don’t deserve the same basic rights because of some “difference” or some perceived moral flaw or defect. You’ll see these arguments come up in regards to freedom of speech, freedom of religious expression, the right to legal marriage, the right to health care, military service, immigration, education, and on down the line.
In case you’re wondering, “unalienable” (or “inalienable,” which is more commonly used today) means that these rights cannot be taken away or even given away.
Yes, it’s a point of contention that there appears to be religious language in this text of the Declaration of Independence, but that all depends on what you personally take a “creator” to be. For some, this will an omnipotent Judeo-Christian God; for others, a “creator” is more a universal “force” of spirit; for others still, this is simply reference to the fact of having been born, with no religious connotation necessary.
You can safely assume you’ve created God in your own image when it turns out he hates all the same people you do.
– Anne Lamott, author
When I find myself engaged in or drawn into these conversations that are effectively about “who deserves what,” I always go back to the U.S. foundational principles. Either you believe that all people are created equal or you don’t. Either you believe in freedom of speech — across the board — or you don’t. Either you accept religious tolerance, for all faiths, or you don’t. Either you believe that everyone — regardless of skin color, economic status, sexual orientation, faith (or no faith), athletic team affiliation, music and literature preferences, favorite color, how they like their coffee, etc. — deserves the same rights and access to services that you do, or you don’t.
And if you don’t, no matter your reasoning, then you’re likely running afoul of the U.S.’ founding principles. You don’t get to pick and choose who you like and who you don’t and hand out rights and services according to personal preference.
We find comfort among those who agree with us – growth among those who don’t.
– Frank A. Clark, “The Country Parson”
You know what? This was never supposed to be easy. Freedom of speech means that everyone has a right to speak up — not just you, but also the Klan member down the road from you. Freedom of religious expression means that Islam and NeoPaganism have just as much a place here as Christianity and atheism. And so on.
Yes, this can get uncomfortable. Having to accept as equals people whose beliefs, practices, thoughts and more you don’t agree with can be a real challenge. But that’s the point. It is this diversity in which we find strength.
