By Justin Foster
Human rights should not create a political divide. After all, we are all humans, right? But human rights are way too often political.
Virginia and I recently attended an event for YWCA-Austin. One of the speakers was an older woman. She pointed out that we not just debating policy in Texas (and elsewhere) - we are rolling back 50+ years of human rights progress and the right to exist.
Why is human rights even a debate?
Well, there are three deep and intertwined roots that still influence policy, political discussions, and social conditioning. These roots are based on superiority or supremacy. They are designed to dehumanize in order to control or exploit people and/or nature.
White Supremacy - before white supremacy, there was European supremacy. Check out this insightful and disturbing video of Jacqueline Battalora explaining the birth of white nationalism. Originating in the 17th century, the concept of whiteness was used to justify the enslavement of people either directly or through colonization, then to justify ensuing wars. White supremacy permeated many aspects of the foundation of the United States but at least there was a constitutional and governmental framework that eventually led to more protection of the rights of all citizens (we still have a long way to go).
It may make us white folks uncomfortable to reconcile this, but racism is still prevalent in our country. It varies from unconscious biases to systemic racism, especially related to money, rights, and power. Regardless of economic status, black and brown people frequently have very different experiences with institutional power than white people do. This video of a black fisherman getting harassed is a case in point.Patriarchy - American patriarchy is less about the superiority of men and more about the systemic entrenchment of patriarchal thinking in our social and business structures. While this discussion frequently centers around wage equality, there are several other forms of patriarchy. This ranges from the overt sexism of appearance and objectification to the covert patriarchy of corporate resistance to flex/remote work which far more impacts women than men.
Modern US patriarchy was deftly and delightfully skewered by the “Barbie” movie. I watched it this past weekend and found it to be satirical high-art on the level of “Idiocracy” and “Don’t Look Up”. It would be apt to include watching it as part of the sentencing of a certain multi-indicted former president and his co-conspirators.Church/State Religion - this is my term for the unholy alliance between churches and states that was often the primary driver of the above examples. In the US, this is Christian Nationalism - the concept that the US needs to be restored to being a “Christian” nation; and that Trump has been “anointed” to lead this return to greatness. Of course, this is a bullshit translation of both the Constitution and Jesus’ teachings.
The source of the majority of human rights issues in the US can be traced back to the church/state alliance between evangelical Christians and right-wing politicians. Here’s an example: Anti-LGBQT+ policies and biases are often represented as “religious views”. This gives the holder of these views the opportunity to hide behind religious dogma. Using “religious views” as an excuse for dehumanizing policies degrades both the targeted group(s) and those that are sincerely religious.
Corporatism (the concept that large corporations have rights but don’t have to pay taxes) is a combination of all three of these. Note the machine language used to describe people: “Human capital” (originally a slave trader term), “People are our best assets”, and “target audience”.
Further, the combination of these three factors is the driving force behind a brutal and inhumane border policy, the war on women’s reproductive rights, and the anti-union stance of the leaders of companies with large blue-collar workforces (Amazon and Walmart, as examples).
“We can disagree and still love each other unless your disagreement is rooted in my oppression and denial of my humanity and right to exist.”
― James Baldwin
So what can be done to combat these forces?
Don’t be silent - especially if you are a straight, white, Christian, American, male. We have to be a driving force behind social progress and the defense of human rights. I recently purchased a shirt from The Happy Givers that says “Silence is Not an Option”. When it comes to abuse, silence is complicity. If you hear someone saying or doing something that is dehumanizing, call them out. There is a deep-seated narcissism in those with these views and exposure and directness are what they are most afraid of.
Make it about the Constitution - the Constitution is a remarkable document with a troubled history. But as has often been said, it works every time it’s tried. The Constitution is based on inalienable, natural rights of all humans. If used properly as a framework, it has zero tolerance for the violation of human rights. Further, the Constitution should be the bulwark against these above three factors; whether it be the prosecution and conviction of seditious behavior or continued attempts to restructure democratic policies to benefit the defenders of these dark elements.
Market pressure is social pressure - Virginia and I went to the Pride Parade in Austin this past Saturday. It was awesome to see all of the corporate brands (including old, established ones) taking a public stance for human rights. The primary factor for the Respect for Marriage Act came from market and social pressure - driven by brands. With more conscious business leaders, the same principle could be applied to other human rights issues. This is a big part of the work we are doing at Massive - equipping business leaders with the tools and mindset to take on systemic change.
I have often been accused of becoming a “woke liberal”. Not true. If anything, I’m an original conservative who believes deeply in inalienable rights, justice, and fairness. I believe in the power of conscious capitalism to spark systemic change. I believe that given the right resources, entrepreneurs can solve many of the world’s biggest problems. I believe in the concept of Namaste; that if we could also see God in each other, there would be far less exploitation and abuse of our fellow humans and the planet we live on. I believe in what bell hooks referred to as the “Love Ethic”; that real love can not look away from harm, hurt, or exploitation.
I am a history-backed realist, not an ideological idealist. There is no perfect system. There is no utopia. But we are fully capable of becoming a country that is the model for diversity, inclusion, and equity; the model for creating systems that promote humanity, not devalue it.