Dignity and Justice for all of Us

Judith Blau in an article called "Human Rights is a Local Issue" says:

"I'm increasingly convinced that the reason why human equality, human dignity, and social pluralism are illusive in American society is that we do not have what Miguel de Unamuno called "el público" and Alexis de Tocqueville called "the public spirit." Instead, American communities, towns and cities are segregated by race, class, and citizenship status, with withered downtowns, and with no spaces for people to discuss, argue, and talk across those divides of race, class and citizenship. It is sometimes said that Americans live, worship and work in their individuals silos, with a silo for each neighborhood, each church, and each workplace. There can be no deep shared conception under these circumstances of collective solidarity or the common good, and of authentic pluralism. True, within each community, parishioners in dozens of churches may celebrate one another's equality every Sunday, and during the week, co-workers in hundreds of work settings may affirm one another's dignity, but these celebrations and affirmations of shared humanity are within tiny homogenous clusters of people, and do nothing to advance the collective solidarity, the common good, and social pluralism. In these silos people simply affirm the equality and dignity of people who are just like themselves. It is far from the cacaphonous el público that Unamuno described and the vibrant public spirit that Tocqueville found in American communities early in the 20th century."

i believe that all governments want to show that they are POLITICALLY CORRECT as they "SPEAK" human rights for "EXPORT" purposes but hardly enforce them at home. Pointing out abuses in other countries without looking in our own backyard first and foremost makes us look like a bunch of hypocrites.

We are a nation of laws and our laws prior to the torture memos recently released labeled torture a criminal act. If you believe in the rule of law, if you are guided by the rule of law then the entire argument that torture is needed to prevent a ticking time bomb is a false one when the law prohibits it.

There is no way to ever prove that waterboarding prevented thousands or millions of Americans from dying. The argument is specious. Also, those who were waterboarded were declared "guilty" before ever having had the opportunity to defend themselves in court. If you believe that ANYONE can be declared "guilty" without ever defending themselves then you also accept that this same scenario could happen to you if you were rightly or wrongly suspected.

What was done was criminal, it was against our laws and the international agreements that we as a nation signed, it was a crime.

Human Rights begins at home. Democracy should be the deliverer of human rights. Here at home we should look to how we follow the rule of law, our delivery of food, housing, health care, gainful employment and education. These are inalienable rights and if we aren't successful at delivering these in our own country how can we demand other countries focus on their abuses if we aren't focusing on our own first.

Can we ever call ourselves human rights violators?

Look down this list of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If we as a nation want to export democracy and liberty we need to stop pointing out other countries abuses and clean up our own abuses first and foremost.

We can spread human rights.

We can lead by example.

Article 1.

All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.


Article 2.

Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, color, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.


Article 3.

Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.


Article 4.

No one shall be held in slavery or servitude; slavery and the slave trade shall be prohibited in all their forms.


Article 5.

No one shall be subjected to torture or to cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.


Article 6.

Everyone has the right to recognition everywhere as a person before the law.


Article 7.

All are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection of the law. All are entitled to equal protection against any discrimination in violation of this Declaration and against any incitement to such discrimination.


Article 8.

Everyone has the right to an effective remedy by the competent national tribunals for acts violating the fundamental rights granted him by the constitution or by law.


Article 9.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile.


Article 10.

Everyone is entitled in full equality to a fair and public hearing by an independent and impartial tribunal, in the determination of his rights and obligations and of any criminal charge against him.


Article 11.

(1) Everyone charged with a penal offence has the right to be presumed innocent until proved guilty according to law in a public trial at which he has had all the guarantees necessary for his defence.
(2) No one shall be held guilty of any penal offence on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offence, under national or international law, at the time when it was committed. Nor shall a heavier penalty be imposed than the one that was applicable at the time the penal offence was committed.


Article 12.

No one shall be subjected to arbitrary interference with his privacy, family, home or correspondence, nor to attacks upon his honour and reputation. Everyone has the right to the protection of the law against such interference or attacks.


Article 13.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.
(2) Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own, and to return to his country.


Article 14.

(1) Everyone has the right to seek and to enjoy in other countries asylum from persecution.
(2) This right may not be invoked in the case of prosecutions genuinely arising from non-political crimes or from acts contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.


Article 15.

(1) Everyone has the right to a nationality.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his nationality nor denied the right to change his nationality.


Article 16.

(1) Men and women of full age, without any limitation due to race, nationality or religion, have the right to marry and to found a family. They are entitled to equal rights as to marriage, during marriage and at its dissolution.
(2) Marriage shall be entered into only with the free and full consent of the intending spouses.
(3) The family is the natural and fundamental group unit of society and is entitled to protection by society and the State.


Article 17.

(1) Everyone has the right to own property alone as well as in association with others.
(2) No one shall be arbitrarily deprived of his property.


Article 18.

Everyone has the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion; this right includes freedom to change his religion or belief, and freedom, either alone or in community with others and in public or private, to manifest his religion or belief in teaching, practice, worship and observance.


Article 19.

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.


Article 20.

(1) Everyone has the right to freedom of peaceful assembly and association.
(2) No one may be compelled to belong to an association.


Article 21.

(1) Everyone has the right to take part in the government of his country, directly or through freely chosen representatives.
(2) Everyone has the right of equal access to public service in his country.
(3) The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.


Article 22.

Everyone, as a member of society, has the right to social security and is entitled to realization, through national effort and international co-operation and in accordance with the organization and resources of each State, of the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for his dignity and the free development of his personality.


Article 23.

(1) Everyone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favourable conditions of work and to protection against unemployment.
(2) Everyone, without any discrimination, has the right to equal pay for equal work.
(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection.
(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.


Article 24.

Everyone has the right to rest and leisure, including reasonable limitation of working hours and periodic holidays with pay.


Article 25.

(1) Everyone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control.
(2) Motherhood and childhood are entitled to special care and assistance. All children, whether born in or out of wedlock, shall enjoy the same social protection.


Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.
(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.
(3) Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children.


Article 27.

(1) Everyone has the right freely to participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits.
(2) Everyone has the right to the protection of the moral and material interests resulting from any scientific, literary or artistic production of which he is the author.


Article 28.

Everyone is entitled to a social and international order in which the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration can be fully realized.


Article 29.

(1) Everyone has duties to the community in which alone the free and full development of his personality is possible.
(2) In the exercise of his rights and freedoms, everyone shall be subject only to such limitations as are determined by law solely for the purpose of securing due recognition and respect for the rights and freedoms of others and of meeting the just requirements of morality, public order and the general welfare in a democratic society.
(3) These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.


Article 30.

Nothing in this Declaration may be interpreted as implying for any State, group or person any right to engage in any activity or to perform any act aimed at the destruction of any of the rights and freedoms set forth herein.

fear and earth day

i've been conflicted concerning Earth Day and the fact that Wednesday is when i publish here. Must i write a piece concerning the environment because it is Earth Day or could i get away with writing about another issue?

Doing a little bit of both won out.

Earth Day is celebrated around the world and is one of the few events that people of all faiths, backgrounds and nationalities participate in. Everyone recognizes that human beings have to share the earth and make an effort not to despoil her. Unfortunately we have major trouble with both the sharing and the trashing. Of all the living creatures that inhabit this orbiting world we humans are the most destructive.

We dirty everything while continuing to believe that the natural cycles of our environment will clean up our mess.

Somewhere i read that you can manipulate a population to do your biding if you start your appeal by using something to fear first. In order to do this you must create scenarios to be feared then tell your audience what to do to combat that fear. We can all list issues that have been used in the past to create fear in the population.

Terrorists should probably top the list.
Fear of taxes(Democrats)
Communists are right up there(take everything you have)
Right wingers(war mongers)
Socialists(want you to give them your money)
Universal Health care advocates(want to stop good health care)
Anti-gun people(take your guns)
Pro-choice(give you too much choice)
Anti-abortion(take away your choice)
Global warming and cooling advocates
Religious extremists of any ilk

The list could go on and on but all of these groups illicit unreasonable fear in certain segments of the population.

Why?

Because you are being manipulated to fear them. You are being manipulated to fear first, i'll say that again, you are being manipulated to FEAR FIRST so you don't hear the whole message.

Today when you hear about global warmers and global deniers look first to what they want you to fear. Fear will be the over riding manipulator to grab your attention. One group tells you we are reaching the tipping point and the other group tells you fixing it will be too costly and they are both crying chicken little.

Who is right?

Which fear have you bought into?

Ask yourself this whenever you become fearful about something affecting your life. What fear is controlling your thinking? Eliminate it first then review the issues without fear.

If we remove the fear from both sides i'll bet there is someplace in the middle where we can all meet and agree.

Do we dirty our planet and our air?

Can you answer that question without fear?

Are there solutions we can come up with without using fear to stop us from thinking about the issues?

i hope so.

Happy Earth Day!

the book shop

There is a great used book shop, close to my moms apartment. Jam packed with books from all categories, dark with little nooks set aside for intimate browsing. The crotchety owner sits deep within the surrounding books. He is not old although probing has revealed that he has lived within blocks of the book store his entire life and knows all the goings on in the neighborhood.

A computer is in front of him, readily available to find anything your heart desires, but his nature lies in wait willing to snap at you at a moments notice. He is ever vigilant, making sure no one absconds with one of his precious books.

At first, his demeanor is off putting but once you have gained his respect his smile is deep with feeling. He opens up and then the fun begins. He is filled with interesting topics for conversation, recommendations for books and the latest treatise on politics. i've bought books there and will leave most of them behind, gobbled up, but ready for others to read. His bookshop is a great place just to hang and for someone like me a refuge even when he didn't have the book i was looking for.

In the past i wrote about the Peace Pilgrim, the woman who started walking across the United States after deciding she would be a wanderer until mankind learned the ways of peace. i found her book, not in my favorite bookstore but a few doors down in the thrift shop. i was reading it last night and have decided to post a few of her insights.

So many of us punish ourselves by making wrong choices. According to the Peace Pilgrim enlightenment is constantly being offered but many refuse to accept it. Therefore those that don't accept it are being taught by the problems that are set before them, since they refuse to make the right choices on their own. Problems arrive to push us towards harmony.

i know i irritate people at times with a directness that some find offensive. Those who are irritated don't want to be reminded of the darker sides of our natures. Believing in justice means i have an extremely difficult time letting the actions of the unjust go unnoticed.

Rousing people from their apathy and making them think may sometimes seem to come into conflict with a loving attitude towards others. Problems have a purpose, hiding from them does not make them go away. Preventing one person from hurting another is a loving thing to do no matter what the circumstance. No problem that is set before you can be solved by denying it exists. That just sets up a life filled with failure.

You can solve it and learn and grow in the process by confronting all problems head on.

So like the Peace Pilgrim says, think positive thoughts about everyone don't let anger rule.

drug reactions

The care of an elderly adult can be harrowing at times. Understanding the nature of their debilitation takes undercover agent trained to recognize out of the ordinary symptoms.

While your charge is riddled with anxiety you must be careful to pay attention to their worries. Expressing concern at every new crisis that is discussed by the many physicians you encounter as you move through the maze of hospital tests will put your loved one at ease.

Illness that eludes diagnosis can kill. When i arrived at my mother's apartment the shock of her appearance immobilized me. i had no idea how to help her. She kept telling me she was dying and she looked like she was dying.

At first, i tried to encourage her to get out, to take on life, but as the reality sunk in that she really couldn't i searched for other alternatives. i quizzed her relentlessly and finally focused on the drugs she was taking to treat her heart disease. i needed help but knew no one locally.

i am the grand inquisitor, i can drive friends nuts with my probing questions, even though i am a relatively private person. This trait alone saved my mother's life. i quizzed everyone i encountered. i gained information about avenues i had no idea even existed when the crisis was at its height. i refused to back down when clerks said no appointments to see doctors were available. i insisted it was an emergency and we needed to see someone.

Spironolactone, an aggressive heart medication, was at the root of her illness. All her symptoms matched the ones listed under adverse effects. She had previously questioned her doctor about the drug but he told her drug companies had to put all those things down just in case and not to worry.

She tried to ignore the symptoms and tough it out as her condition worsened but her voice on the phone couldn't hide her deterioration. Finally after many conversations i could wait no longer and had to go see for myself what could be done. We loaded up all her drugs, all her paper work and off we went. i had been in town three days and her condition had worsened in that time.

Thankfully it was a general practitioner that heard my plea for help. He heard my concerns about the drug combination she was on and called in a pharmacology student to go over everything. While at the computer the students eyebrows kept raising and i knew we were on to something. i asked him what he thought and he said he had to defer to the doctor. They both left the examining room to consult and the doctor returned saying my mom needed a blood test. We went to the lab for the test and went home. That was in the morning, by that afternoon while I was out taking a walk the doctor had called and said he had called 911. She had to get to the emergency room immediately and couldn't wait for me to come back from my walk. Needless to say, i came back to a shocking note on the door saying she was at the hospital. i had no idea where the hospital was.

The emergency room went to work immediately draining out her overloaded system. She was experiencing renal failure, astronomical insulin levels, over the top potassium levels and was near to having a heart attack. She almost died. They saved her and within two days the change was phenomonal.

My mother was back, she no longer looked like a ghost and no longer thought she was going to die. She started laughing and now a week later has a raging appetite, can walk without looking like she is going to topple over at any minute. A home health nurse visits every other day, a physical therapist has her on a mild exercise program and the doctors are stabalizing her medications.

She still has issues which i believe are drug related so we are working on those with the doctors. Seven years ago she had a stroke that affected her right side. It made any use of her right hand and right foot difficult but two days ago her hand straightened out and her foot is not falling over. S

She thinks she is the new Benjamin Button.

All of this is truly miraculous and it was all done on Medicare. i've always been in favor of universal health care and this has reinforced my leanings. So all you naysayers out there slamming health care for all...get a grip. Any one of us could go through this on private care with insurance companies questioning every move. Insurance companies are in business to make a profit. Making a profit off illness is wrong. It is wrong, wrong, wrong. On Medicare they act...they don't have to wait for any approval and from what we have just experienced it works. No insurance forms to fill out...just hand them your card.

She could sue but she won't. What she does want is to alert everyone to the realities of over prescription of drugs and the issues relating to their interactions. All medications need to be checked to make sure they are not making the person more sick. If you think it is your medication it probably is. She is also singing the praises of all the medical personel who work on Medicare patients.