Seventy five years ago today, the United Nations adopted the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. The document, which was written under the leadership of Eleanor Roosevelt, codified the basic rights of every person on earth.
Since the adoption, the country that took the lead in the drafting of the UDHR, the United States, has rhetorically promoted the idea of "the rule of law" and "a rules based order" while turning a blind (or sometimes, encouraging) eye to allied dictators around the world. This betrayal of Ms. Roosevelt's work was most famously conducted by (the finally departed) Henry Kissinger.
Then came Jimmy Carter. Carter stood up and said, 'we mean it'. Diplomats, politicians and former political prisoners around the world, reported that Carter drove dictators and South American generals crazy. Amnesty International received the Nobel Peace Prize, prisoners of conscience went free, torture chambers were cleared out, executions became less common. And a spotlight was on human rights abusers everywhere. But, not everyone was pleased. And when 9/11 came along, they were ready. As America began operating torture chambers, black sights, extrajudicial executions and bombed civilians in multiple countries, dictators everywhere jumped to follow the example and excuse their behavior as "fighting terrorism".
For a short while one could believe that this was the fault of Republicans. George Bush won reelection in 2004. Even then, one could say that at least 49% of Americans opposed being complicit in torture. Four years later, Barak Obama was elected. He essentially said, 'nope, it's all of us!'. With his declaration of "looking forward, not backwards", he instituted impunity for war criminals. He then ordered bombings of civilians and extrajudicial executions that would have made Dick Cheney blush.
Today is the second Sunday of Advent. It's 94 miles from Nazereth to Bethlehem. Eighteen miles from Gaza City to Khan Yunis. Different times. Different trips. Then, the poor father to be and his very pregnant wife could find no vacancy at any inn. As I type this, a current version of Joseph knows there is no inn, hospital, or hope, left. He, and his modern day Mary, will have to make their own shelter. And, just as 2000 years ago, they need it now, because contractions won't wait. Not for lodging and not for a cease fire.
So, as they trudge, on foot (driving is impossible with streets filled with the rubble of bombed apartment buildings, and the gas is gone, anyway) around chunks of concrete, downed power lines and bits of human flesh, searching for plastic sheeting, rope or cable with which to construct a tent on what was once a sidewalk. All without knowing where their next meal or drink of water will come from. Everything predicated on they not being shot by snipers, bombed by drones, planes or missiles or crushed by falling buildings. And those would be the better deaths. The next street over is hell on earth, as white phosphorus is dropped on their fellow refugees. White phosphorus ignites immediately on contact with oxygen and burns the skin, corneas and lungs. It is dropped on these wretched souls by each of us. Yes, dear reader. We're not ruled by prophets, judges or kings. We claim to govern ourselves, our will done by our elected representatives. Our President and Congress, egged on by corporate media, have shoveled billions of dollars, and provided 2000 pound bombs, along with that phosphorus, to a foreign government that has literally proclaimed that modern day holy family to be the Amaleks, who must be smote.
If you've read this far, you're probably thinking this detour to Palestine is a pretty far stretch, from his original point, even for Jimmy. Is it? War crimes and crimes against humanity are being committed right before our eyes, even if our preachers tell us it's OK to take a break and look away, and even if our media sanitizes the news. If there is a rule of law, it applies to everyone. If there are rights, they apply always, especially in the most difficult times. And what we are witnessing, this 2nd Sunday of Advent, is the most innocent and helpless, being the most violated. Collective guilt, for the actions of others, placed on them and collective punishment being meted out to them. Without their most basic rights being respected, and without an immediate cease fire being implemented, this little Jesus isn't going to make it to Christmas.
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