Stand up together
I want to live where we all value all of us, where each human is worthy of full and equal protection, both under the law and from our hearts.
Dear friends: We are in some difficult waters. Following the dreadful decision to overturn Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court stripped federal agencies of their ability to set regulations carrying out laws passed by Congress in a decision involving the Environmental Protection Agency. Both decisions reflect a terrifying willingness of this court to remove federal enforcement of equal protection under the law.
This quarter I’m teaching a class that covers some international and intercultural business dynamics. One question students are encouraged to ask about other countries, when considering international expansions and collaborations, is how much the potential partner country follows the rule of law.
In the past, I’ve taught this class from the perspective of sitting comfortably in a nation that was secure in its commitment to the rule of law.
Now, my students and I all are not so sure. When I share stories of oligarchy and corruption, they ask how it is different here. I have no good answers. This group includes students from Saudi Arabia and China. Their insights into what they observe happening in the U.S., compared to their home countries, give us pause. While both countries are generally considered much less democratic than the U.S., we are seeing more and more similarities.
Testimony in the hearings before the committee investigating the attempts to overthrow our democracy paints a vivid picture of how close we came to not having a transfer of power at all. The world is watching how, and whether, those responsible will be held accountable.
The far-right supermajority on the Supreme Court adheres to “originalism” which seems to mean that anyone whose rights were not protected in the late eighteenth century are out of luck now, and yet they refuse to protect the heart at the core of the constitution and its amendments: equal protection under the law. The inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, protected equally as required by the Fourteenth Amendment.
In my travels, I’ve seen the community life of folk who are not protected by anyone other than the current strongman (almost always a man) running their towns or states. They are invariably kind, generous, funny, intelligent. Many are resigned to the level of uncertainty, even fear, having to guess what the “leader” will do next. Or knowing that it will not include protecting all of them. Knowing that there are certain differences - ethnicity, religion, political beliefs, LGBTQ+ status, physical or mental challenges - that make them vulnerable to harassment, job loss, housing loss, violence.
I’ve been helped, supported, and cared for by those folks. Those who had the least often shared the most. I admire their resilience and care for one another.
But I don’t want to live under that kind of system. I want to live where we all value all of us, where each human is worthy of fully equal protection, both under the law and from our hearts.
The bullies will win in our country, unless we stand up to them now, and every time they try to take over.
I’m so grateful for your company as we stand up together.