The lost of a word led to less freedom for all Americans.
April 11, 2005
Death Penality: Putting down animals should be not much different then our state's policy.
Humans at the End of the Day: Despite our technological abilities, we must respect god and the planet we live on.
Legalize Suicide: A culture of freedom rather then of life is desirable.
Life and Death Politics: Looking at the meaning of Shiavo and Chippewa Indian Killer.
Life as the Freedom of the Individual: Thoughts on how society elevates biological life while deminishes freedom.
Live Free or Die: Is this existential question of democracy?
Outbreak: Soverignity and Life: After watching Outbreak about a month ago, I decided to think about what it meant to be human and the concept of freedom.
People as Just Animals: We would be so much better if we lived closer to earth.
Sucide in a Culture of Life: Our society's culture of life needs to be challenged and questioned.
It is of great concern to me that the word dignity has fallen out of popular use, only limited to a few cases such as those involving medical procedures or mental health administration. This is particularly disconcerting to those of us concerned about social injustice and similar things.
If you can remember back to the 1960s, it was all the rage to talk about giving Americans a concept of freedom and dignity, to provide something greater and better then what they had today. Was the dignity that was so desired a longing for a throwback to yesterday before the confused and troublesome world of the sixties or was it something bigger? This is an interesting question.
I tend to think that dignity is the status of getting basic respect as an individual and living up to you're best potential as a free and autonomous individual. Government should assist you in reaching your dream, but it should also expect you to input something into it as an active citizen. Government social welfare policy should enable a quality of life and allow people to escape vicious cycles of poverty. True dignity is about being the individual you always wanted to be.
The sixties definition of dignity was shaped through the troubles of the negro people of the time. African Americans where deprived of a basic self respect, a trap that too many Americans find themselves in today. Poverty keeps people from getting an education, and ultimately challenging the world in new and innovative ways that can bring change. It is wrong to see people as black and not as poor or improperly socialized.
Dignity should not be something left to the most desperate and dependent of Americans as it is too often today. Terri Shiavo deserved fairness and her day in court, but the costs we spent on her deprived many Americans of their dignity. We could have spent the money government and media spent on this one girl on making the lives of many poor and undereducated people far better off. Let's hope all Americans get more dignity.
Nelson Rockefeller best summed it up in his 1968 book title:
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