Human compassion binds us together - letter by Jim Petersen

Reproduced here for fair use and discussion purposes. My comments in bold.

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Dec. 10 marked the 65th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This was one of the first acts of the United Nations. Witnessing humanity’s greatest atrocities (both Allied and Axis), the drafters recognized the need to assert that all humans have rights. These rights are not derived from government or religion. (Ok, so where are they derived? Mr. Peterson does not give us this answer, but we can assume that they must come from the U.N. Let's see how this perspective plays out in the rest of his letter.) 

These rights call to us from our shared consciousness. (Metaphysical nonsense. Somehow, "rights" magically appeared in our shared consciousness, whatever that is, and they speak. Never mind that there is no such thing as a shared consciousness, or that rights are a legal creation.)

The conscience that bound us as communally dependent, social beings walking from the savannahs of Africa out across the land masses of our shared home, Earth. (So this shared consciousness binds us together, I assume in an "it takes a village" sort of togetherness. Mr. Peterson is apparently laying the groundwork for socialism.)

Consider the recent days. On Veterans Day, we honor those who served to secure our rights and liberties. Must we go to bloody war to show our dedication to these rights? (Wars are fought for many reasons, some just and noble, others not so much. Sometimes we go to war to defend these rights, sometimes we want to spread democracy. War is sometimes necessary, but many of the most recent wars were more like invasions. Nevertheless. those who serve don't get to decide their service based on whether or not they agree with the political decisions involved. As such, they are worthy of due honor.) 

On Thanksgiving Day, we are implored to show gratitude for American bounty? Should gratitude be shown only one day? And as word came of Nelson Mandela’s last breath, many honored his actions and words that changed a country. He helped to heal through reconciliation, not retribution. I offer his words:

“Our human compassion binds us the one to the other — not in pity or patronizingly, but as human beings who have learnt how to turn our common suffering into hope for the future.”

My world still suffers from injustice. We all can make the goal of universal justice a reality. I take responsibility. Join me. Act. (So we can piece together his train of thought for a plan of action. 1) We have a shared consciousness from which springs our rights. 2) We are interlinked and dependent on each other. 3) There is injustice in the world, and war does not solve it. 4) He wants us to act. 5) Support the U.N.

65 years ago came the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Nothing has changed, and things have in fact gotten worse. It is this impotent organization, routinely ignored by tyrants and dictators, that is supposed to bring about "universal justice?" Yeah, right.)

Let Mandela speak: “It always seems impossible until it is done.”

Jim Petersen

Livingston