Life, Liberty, and Solidarity

This past weekend saw millions of people demonstrating in support of equitable treatment for all human beings.  On Sunday, the second annual Women's March was held, both in Washington and in cities nationwide, calling attention to the inequities in how our current society teats with women, shining a light on the many ways that women are often demeaned in our shared culture.  On Saturday, the 45th annual Right to Life March was held in Washington DC (in some cities nationwide, local marches were held the previous weekend, calling attention to inequities in how our current society teats with its most vulnerable members: the unborn, the disabled, and the unwell, shining a light on a throwaway culture that is increasingly viewing a human's life not as intrinsically valuable, but only valuable in terms of its utility to society.

That so many people are energized to stand up to speak out against these inequities should be a source of great pride in the human condition.  However, it saddens me to reflect on the fact that a great number of the people marching at one of these two events this weekend would not want to be caught dead at the other.  But, as I mentioned at my outset, both of these movements have at their hearts a common desire to see that all human beings are treated with equal dignity.

Movements like that embodied by the Women's March stem partly from a reaction to the lingering view in our society that there are clear and specific roles for both men and women to play.  At a time when child mortality rates were so high that a family size approaching double digits was the only was to ensure a fully functional farm, or a reliable retirement residence, this view proved to be beneficial in the long term.  But, in an era of negative population growth, this is less of a survival requirement and more of a personal choice.  Let us all stand in solidarity with those women whom have for too long been treated as objects rather than as human beings.

Movements like that embodied by the Right to Life March stem partly from a reaction to the growing view in our society that a human is only worthwhile insofar as that human has value to society.  Hence, minorities, the poor, and immigrants all are ignored at best; labeled as parasites of government largess at worst.  Hence, unexpectedly or imperfectly conceived children (that is, afflicted with genetic or physical abnormality) are discarded.  In an era when the harm done by treating our natural environment as a consumable quantity, it is hard to understand how we treat our fellow humans as equally disposable.  Let us all stand in solidarity with those children whom have for too long been treated as possessions rather than as human beings.

The Right to Life March and the Women's March both stand forth proudly, championing the rights upon which this nation was founded nearly 250 years ago.  "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [humans] are created equal, that they are endowed ... with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."  That is, that all human beings, regardless of their perceived worth to society (which is always in a state of flux), have a right to live their lives, and to determine for themselves what their role in the Universe will be.  These two movements share so much in common at their fundamental level, representing as they do the right to life and the right to liberty.  It seems poetic justice that they now seemed destined to be held every year in the same weekend.

Yet, today, the proponents of the Right to Life March largely identify themselves as Republican, while the proponents of the Women's March largely identify themselves as Democrat.  Both parties claim to be the champion for human dignity, following the separate arguments above; but truthfully, neither Party can own that mantle.  For all the good policy that the Democratic Party follows in supporting many disadvantaged populations, a person who truly believes that every human being possesses an intrinsic, unalienable dignity cannot simply close one's eyes and ears to the disproportional rates at which minorities, the poor, and the disabled are aborted.  For all the Pro-Life policy in the Republican Party platform, a person who truly believes that every human being possesses an intrinsic, unalienable dignity cannot simply close one's eyes and ears to the refugees, the immigrants (legal or not), and the poor who are left with little or no help to survive and advance in this "great" country.

The truth is, neither the Democratic Party nor the Republican Party care a whit about human dignity, life, liberty, or the pursuit of happiness.  The newest government shutdown demonstrates this point yet again.  Both sides have been more interested in playing their political pawns for votes in the next election, than they have been interested in sitting down and arriving at a solution, however flawed, however compromised.

But, there is a growing political Party out there that does recognize the intrinsic, unalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, that all humans possess.  It is called the American Solidarity Party, and I encourage you to check them out (https://solidarity-party.org/)