Human Rights and Compassion

Dave Doyle had asked all belonging to Out of Write Field to Blog on May 15 for Human Rights. I must confess I was busy last week. I din't even blog in my own forum about baseball. Also contrary to what Dave belives, a mass belonging will get everyone's attention. For people to care and react they have to compassionate. And frankly I don't see that in everyone. What scares me is the mass growth of egotistic self-centered interests.

This country was founded by those looking for a new frontier. Instead of gold, the early settlers found farmland and forests where they could grow crops and raise livestock. Many followed the early explorers to escape persecution in Europe. Most settlers in the English colonies just wanted to be free to worship their own religions. mostly Quakers and Catholics. Unfortunately along the way to growing a nation we enslaved a race; and still to this day we have not made it right yet.

I have been following the election. I am as an American concerned about the direction this country is going. Clearly it is going to hell and hand basket because many non longer are concerned for the good of the whole but for their own self interests. We are on the verge of putting a non-white man in the White House. And what do we see, we see, we see racism from the candidates and racism from the voters.

Most disappointing was to see the race card played by the Clintons. Former President Clinton owed his eight years in the White House to minority America. It leads me to wonder did he mean all those promises or was he convenience shopping; as now both he and his wife look like hypocrites.

The key to human rights is eliminating racism. It would be nice if everyone had the same features, but they don't. The first step towards human rights is stomping out racism. It has gotten better in 40 years, but clearly when you watch the reports on the 2008 election, racism still lingers in this country like a festering sore.

Eliminating racism requires compassion. You cannot be more concerned with your own interests and needs. America was once the land of opportunity, but the growth of a wealthy upper middle class and an increase in poverty due to the growth the wealthy sector has eliminated many opportunities. Self interests prevail. That has to stop; before all we have is the poor and rich.

I blame religion or lack of it really for this plague of self interests. I am not the best practicing Catholic, but I do believe in the final judgement. I also believe in the phrase do unto others as you would have them do unto you. Without this compassion you don't care what happens to others; and liek it or not religious teachings help nourish compassion.

You don't have to be a Holy Roller. I definitely am not, but I do believe that I am here on earth for some purpose or God would not have wasted his time. Often the purpose is unclear. I do hope that when my time come the big guy lets me know why.

Likewise i don want to make a good impression when my time comes. I believe in the principal of the uniting of soles. I look forward to an after life and seeing my family, friends and departed pets live in eternal peace. I am not perfect either, so when I do mess up I apologize for doing the to the person and to God.

Alright I am not out to change the world, but my little corner of it. I don't have time to change the world. I can try and change those around me. To understand it is not all about them; its about us.

I recenlt pointed this out to my bosses. They are trying to encourage employees to go the extra mile but insituting a very handsome recognition program. My reply to that was if they didn't learn it as children, the likelihood of reforming them now is limited. The time for gold stars is in grammer school; when you teach the future of America the right way to behave.

Personally I don't need a gold star, I can assess myself. I don't need my name in the newsletter or a special cash prize to do my job. I love what I do, my goal is the feeling I get from doing it right the first time. I am hardest judge on all fronts; my work and my behavior. I don't like being singled out, it is embarrassing.

I write this blog for myself, I have opinions about baseball and other sports, I write them down. Some are interesting, some are dull. It helps me analyze the sport and work through my frustration when my team is sitting in the cellar. Other items I write are lesson for people. I am natural leader and teacher, or so I have been told. I know all this "stuff" knowing all this "stuff" and keeping it to your self is selfishness. Besides maybe someone else can take this "stuff" and get it to work better, so I share my "stuff".

You want to improve human rights you have to encourage sharing and compassion. The best way is start with the young, trying to change the old is almost impossible.

You want to improve human rights, start in this country. Anyone over 18 has a right to vote. Exercise that right based on electing competent officials who will be responsible to you the voter not to self interests. Why is human rights an issue, because in the USA a country founded for human rights; we don't practice what we preach.

You want to change the world start in your own little corner. You can support external causes, hunger, disaster relief, etc. But if we, the largest democracy in the world can't set a good example, we cannot make others follow.

Think of it in terms of an avalanche, it starts out small but has it rolls down hill it picks up size and speed.