Perspective. FDR said
that "a society is judged by the way it treats its lowest members." I
would initially have to disagree with FDR. Looking back through history at the
"great" societies (America, Great Britain, Rome, Egypt, etc.) we see
that these societies were built on/around slavery, or at the very least with a
great divide between the very wealthy and extremely poor. But no one I know
looks at these societies and judges them with a "shame on you." We
marvel at the Pyramids in Egypt and at how advanced they were for their time.
Rome's beauty is still evident, and its political structure and ways of life
are present in today's world. English is spoken in almost every corner of the
earth, because Great Britain was (and if we see London winning over New York to
host this year's Olympics, is still) so "Great." People have continuously
come to America to "live the dream." Are we really judging these
societies on how they treat their lowest members? This is about Perspective.
I know, I know, slavery was
abolished quite some time ago. So where am I going with this? The American
middle-class is shrinking. The income inequality is close to record highs,
rivaled only by The Great Depression. Unemployment is at its worst in 20+ years
and the cost of living is rising higher than the increase in wages. If you've
kept up with recent news, there are children as young as five years old working
in fruit/vegetable/tobacco fields (absorbing nicotine through their skin at the
equivalent of 12 cigarettes a day) across America, including here in
California, in order to help their families with income. America is among the
top three destinations for human trafficking both in the sex trade and for
unpaid labor, along with Australia and Japan, which economically aren't exactly
the worst off countries in the world. It is a $14 billion per year industry
(more than Google, Nike, and Starbucks combined) where modern day
"slaves" receive nothing for the work and abuse they must perform and
endure. I don't know anyone looking at the "lowest" members with
their judgment of this society. It's difficult to agree with the statement when
we take these factors into Perspective.
On the other hand, there are also
people with a choice who stay in this American society. Who choose to come to
this society from another. The poor, the disenfranchised, illegal immigrants, legal
immigrants with low incomes, those also among the lowest members of this
society are here-- and they aren't going anywhere. Why? Because sometimes,
often times, it is better to be poor, disenfranchised, an illegal immigrant,
and the lowest member of this American society than to be poor,
disenfranchised, a legal citizen, and the lowest member of another society.
Why? Because this American society, sadly, has a tendency to treat its lowest
members better than other societies may. So perhaps this American society is
being judged on how it treats its lowest members. What is hard to believe is
that it could be worse. It might get even worse. But it should be better. What
we have to consider next, then, is our global society, from a global
Perspective.
