This seems pretty straightforward. I wonder why we are having such a hard time following it . . .
Fourteenth Amendment, Section 1 (of the United States Constitution):
"All persons born or naturalized in the United States, and subject to the jurisdiction thereof, are citizens of the United States and of the State wherein they reside. No State shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."
I know the recent Supreme Court ruling was directly aimed at the scope of lower court decisions, but still, we need to be sure we protect the birthright of those born in the United States by following the Constitution.
And not only that, but according to the Fourteenth Amendment, we shouldn't deprive any PERSON due process and equal protection.
While I do not promote violence even in resistance, this quote often attributed to Thomas Jefferson seems applicable:
"When injustice becomes law, resistance becomes duty."
We need to speak up at every turn of injustice. A chipping away at the Constitution needs to be gracefully, non-violently resisted.
It is important to address topics that concern human rights.
In fact, one of the themes of Catholic Social Teaching says:
"The intentional targeting of civilians in war or terrorist attacks is always wrong. Catholic teaching also calls on us to work to avoid war. Nations must protect the right to life by finding increasingly effective ways to prevent conflicts and resolve them by peaceful means. We believe that every person is precious, that people are more important than things, and that the measure of every institution is whether it threatens or enhances the life and dignity of the human person."
And so I ask, "Are we threatening, or enhancing, the life and dignity of the human person today?"
That is the question we need to face; the answer we are giving seems pretty obvious.
We need to be very careful how we continue in our current state of affairs, for if we disregard the life and dignity of every human person, we will surely one day pay for the injustices we inflict upon others.
Janet Cassidy
Email me at: jmctm2@gmail.com
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