dignity

It’s interesting when conversations begin to echo each other, but about different subjects. Yet the same themes emerge. When you find yourself saying the same words, but in a different setting. For a seemingly different reason. But then you hit the same bedrock. 

Just this week, I found myself advocating for the dignity of every single human being and being confronted with an opposing side touting their “rights” to deny the personhood of another category of person. Speaking of the “right” of a person to determine the value of whether or not another human being would be “allowed” to flourish or not. To truly live or not. To be autonomous and have their own existence flourishing or not.

The first time these themes came up it was in the context of racism in the American South surrounding the Civil War and those who would reframe the conversation as being about the States “rights”. Essentially the States “rights” to own another human being. 

Who gets to determine who is a human being? 

Who gets to determine what “rights” we actually have? 

All it takes is a simple look at history to know our propensity to use and abuse one. So could there be a source outside of ourselves to determine these? To determine  who is a human being and what “rights” we actually have. 

The second time these themes came up, which arrested me because I found myself saying the same words, was in the context of preborn children with an opposing side touting the “rights” of one category of person to deny the personhood of another category of person. Speaking of the “right” of a person to determine the value of whether or not another human being would be “allowed” to flourish or not. To truly live or not. To be autonomous and have their own existence flourishing or not.

Who gets to determine who is a human being? 

Who gets to determine what “rights” we actually have? 

History is not kind to those who do not advocate for the inherent dignity of those who are vulnerable. History is not kind to those of us who dismiss the personhood of categories of people. People who look differently than us. People who look like someone who attacked us. People who have been enslaved. People who are preborn. People who are from somewhere different than us. People who aren’t as strong as us. People who are smaller than us. 

To be clear, these are complex issues. And I do not buy into false binaries or polarized arguments. Fear and fatalism are rampant on all sides of arguments. But getting underneath it all… 

Who gets to determine who is a human being? 

Who gets to determine what “rights” we actually have?

How can we care for all who are vulnerable? 

This is the level where I will live. Where I will have conversations.