Thought of the Day 04.24.09

According to a recent column, suppression of speech is no longer just happening in regressive societies. Even European countries are now prosecuting people for unacceptable speech. But despite the author’s horrified tone, I must admit that I didn’t feel much concern. I yawned because it was still Europe rather than my own precious America. And I was selfish and wrong for doing so.

Oh, sure, some would encourage me to care because such shifts can eventually come to this country, too, if we aren’t careful. But that’s just a more enlightened version of selfishness. The real issue is that liberty is an inalienable right conferred upon all human beings by God, which means I must resist the impulse to care a little less about distant oppression merely because it doesn’t threaten me.

If human rights are real and embedded in all humans, then I must always care deeply about their violation in anyone’s life. That’s what it means to love my neighbor as myself, no matter how distant a neighbor he is.