Another Point of View

While at mess one evening, the Ship’s Mate (a Pole) asked me what I think of human rights in the United States since 9/11.  I’ll have to admit, I had never thought of it from that perspective.

Americans tend to see the post-9/11 life as full of annoyances—seemingly necessary evils—implemented in the pursuit of both national security and personal safety in a world overrun by terrorists:  gangbangers, drug cartels, pirates, jihadists—sociopaths of every stripe. So, after suffering the indignity of a full-body search just because you bought an airline ticket, who cares if a few people get their “rights” trampled on?  We’ve all been victimized by 9/11.

Personally, I think our human rights record remains tarnished, lagging way behind our ideals, but is not significantly worse in the wake of 9/11.  But then, I’m not wearing a turban…

Nevertheless, any real conversation on human relations in America will begin only when we learn to take our responsibilities—personal, familial, and global—more seriously than our rights.