Rights matter. Every child is supposed to have been taught about the Bill of Rights, and our entire understanding of self-governance and individuality is supported by the foundational documents we cherish. This is, of course, a work in progress; it is a historical fact that women and enslaved people did not have the same rights white, land-owning men did. This was rectified over time with Constitutional Amendments, and Juneteenth, which is in two days, is a federally recognized holiday that reminds us of the Emancipation of enslaved people. That came, for some, 2 years later than others, but it came, nonetheless.
This is why it was so beautiful to see millions of people around the country gathered in peaceful protest this past Saturday. While these protests have been going on for a long time, this is being touted as the largest ever. We have the right to practice religion – or not; we have the right to a free press and freedom of speech. We have the right to bear arms. These are just a few of our cherished rights that can never be allowed to be taken away from us. When Chris and I decided to join the over 2,000 people gathering in the rain on 5th Street in Muhlenberg Township, PA, we agreed that we would leave at the first sign of violence. For us, there is no place for that in America. We did hear that a small number of vehicles came to counter-protest – 6 – but the police did an exceptional job maintaining order.
Even when we are arrested, we have rights. Even non-citizens have rights when they are on American soil. These rights are who we are as Americans, and without them, we become Russia or Iran. There are too many Americans who are trying to limit our rights; they work towards a theocracy that puts Evangelical Christians first in line. They work to make English the only language. They try to control who can get married. Rights can only be maintained if we continue to protect them and speak up. Especially people with privilege. We all need to stand up for every person who is in danger of losing their rights. To not do so is un-American and immoral.
Prayer – Holy God, You have given us so many amazing rights, and we are grateful for those also given by our Constitution. May we always protect each other’s rights, especially those with limited voices. Amen.
Today’s art is “Underground Railroad”, a painting by Kolongi TheArtist which was uploaded on November 27th, 2014.