May 12, 2009
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Are you less equal than others?
Most people are probably familiar with the opening line of the preamble of the Declaration of Independence… “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all people are created equal.” I found myself thinking today that I don’t believe it. Or rather, people may be created equal, but the way they choose to live, to act, to treat others, creates in time groups which are less equal than others. I don’t believe this has anything to do with race, religion, or creed, though it can as these groups sometimes idealize or monopolize certain behaviors. It has nothing to do with intelligence. I think that the “mentally challenged” are in their own way better than certain folk who think much of themselves.“Actions speak louder than words,” is another equally famous English idiom. Right from the get go, people who choose to discriminate against others for the superficial reasons of race, religion, creed, intelligence or any other nonsense reason become less equal in comparison to others. In demoting others, they demote themselves to a subclass. In thinking themselves superior, they become inferior to the those who value basic human compassion. In treating others as less human, they become less themselves.
It’s a touchy subject, the concept of equality.
The concept of race is a misnomer. If we were of different races based on color or eye-shape or what have you, we would not be able to interbreed. Genetically speaking, when two different species get together, they create infertile young if they can create young at all. Therefore, the idea that there is more than one race of human is patently absurd. Racism is absurd. Race in humans is a superficial and cultural illusion. There is no reasonable basis for racism beyond ignorance.
Bias based on religion or creed is also based on ignorance. No one is without belief in something. Even atheists and agnostics have their personal or group philosophies by which their actions and perspectives are dictated. Isn’t it enough that we all believe in something? To treat someone with disrespect based on their beliefs, or your perception of their beliefs, is to drag your own beliefs through the mud. If you cannot show respect to others, you do not deserve respect for yourself. As a representative of your beliefs, you do your fellows a disservice whenever you persecute or snub someone based on their beliefs. Whenever you represent yourself as a member of a faith and then use your faith as a weapon against others, you give the larger community an excuse to mistrust your faith as a whole. You become the bad apple that spoils the bunch.
Bigotry based on any socio-economic or intellectual value is still bigotry, and it doesn’t devalue the people you discriminate against, it devalues you. You become less human when you make fun of someone who is “stupid” or “colored” or “poor” or “rich” or Muslim or what have you. Equality is something you’re born with, but by your actions, by labeling people and treating them as things, you relinquish that intrinsic right. When you deny the humanity of others, you abandon the right to be treated as human yourself. Of course, those who value life and civility will continue to treat you with respect (and no small amount of pity), but only you can make yourself worthy of your birthright.
May 11th
(yesterday)
This is the second night of Lemuria.
In 1659, the Puritans of the Massachusetts Bay Colony banned all celebrations of Christmas in the New World after declaring the event to be a Pagan festival of superstition and “a great dishonor [sic] of God.” In England, Christmas festivities had been banned by the Puritans seven years earlier. It was one year later, when Charles II was restored to the throne, that the law banning the celebration of Christmas was repealed.
The Eisheilige, or “Ice Saints,” are noted from May 11th through the 15th in southern Germany. These “Strong Lords” bring unseasonably cold and/or wet weather. Their names, Mamertius, Pancratius (or Pancras), Servatius, Bonifatius, and Cold Sophie, are Christianized forms of the Swabian presiding spirits of the days. “Saint” Mamertius is honored today.
On the Isle of Man, Witches and Fairies are considered especially active. In Ireland, the Lunantishees are the fairy tribes that guard the blackthorn trees or sloes. No stick may be cut on the eleventh of November or May.
Today is the Guatemalan Rain Ceremony.
May 12th
(today)
“Saint” Pancras is honored.
The annual Belgium Cat Parade is celebrated in honor of the furry feline, an animal sacred to the ancient Egyptians and often used as a familiar of Witches.
Aranya Shashti, a god of the woodlands, is honored in India with an annual festival. He is identified with the Pagan horned deities Pan and Cernunnos.
Comments (3)
We aren’t born equal–we’re born with different talents and abilities, and different opportunities. Yet all of those abilities and opportunities wouldn’t make any difference to someone who doesn’t take advantage of them. I think what that statement could be amended to people are created equal in the sight of God–and therefor are deserving of respect.
I was thinking about this the other day while I was thinking about my son. He has many prejudices that I did not teach him and it bothers me some. And, it does change the way that I view him at times.
I honestly think “equality” is one of the greatest jokes in the world.
I whole-heartedly agree that we are all born equal, and that we have to earn our birth-rites as you stated, but sadly, I have to laugh whenever I hear people talking about how we all have a duty to making sure that equality is given to everyone.
Why is it, that our culture feels the need to advertise something that we should all already know? If you’re human, you know what it feels like to be picked on, and we are all guilty of doing the same to others, though I feel that these actions are wrong, in a way, the universe balances itself out, and makes us all equal no matter what, because it gives justice where it sees fit for those that do wrong to fellow man. Here, I feel the phrase, “Do unto others how you wish to be treated” is really taken into account, because things really do have a way of coming back to you.