We are all freedom protectors.
We must remind our pro-empathy neighbors in public office, ethical businesses, and civil society organizations that securing freedom from fear is everyone’s duty.
We are all freedom protectors.1 However, progressive freedom protectors must improve our pro-empathy educational duty to courageous nurturance, especially in conservatism-poisoned communities. We must show up and speak up with empathy. We must remind our pro-empathy neighbors in public office, ethical businesses, and civil society organizations that securing freedom from fear is everyone’s duty.2 And we must recommit to “progressive measures,”3 says the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), celebrating 75 years this year. The UDHR Preamble Proclamation says, “Every individual and every organ of society” has a pro-empathy duty to keep human rights constantly in mind through teaching and education “to secure their universal recognition and observance.”
We are all freedom protectors. However, the conservatism-infected black Memphis cops thought THEY were protecting freedom as well when they murdered black motorist Tyre Nichols last month. Their arbitrary-punishment demonstrates that deadly unconscious conservatism fuels racism because it lacks empathy, the soul of democracy. Therefore, according to cognitive science, their anti-empathy acts were perfectly aligned with conservatism’s core values of harsh, arbitrary, and autocratic punishment,4 a UDHR Article 5 violation.5 And these are the same conservative values fueling the conservatives’ attempt to silence black and Mulim Minnesota Congresswoman Ilan Omar in the US House of Representatives6 and continue a #SlowMotionInsurrection by killing America’s credit rating.7 Conservative freedom is deadly and doesn’t qualify for protection under the UDHR.8
We are all freedom protectors. But progressive freedom protectors must recommit to pro-empathy freedom protection. We must recommit to the core pro-empathy values of local youth,9 adults,10 and public human rights education envisioned in the UDHR. Every issue that America confronts today is a human rights issue that not enough pro-empathy Americans demand. In the last 75 years, no United States Presidents and Senators have self-enabled ANY of the 18 human rights treaties the rest of our NATO allies have embraced.11 Pro-empathy Americans can and should demand their enabling.
We are all freedom protectors. Consider Four Empathy Activities found at www.empathysurplus.com focused on the letter “I” - because I can’t care for others without self-empathy:
Inwardly digest human rights education using the latest brain insights of George Lakoff
Invest in human rights education of youth, adults, and the public
Implement human rights education through partnerships, and
Invite others to do their pro-empathy duty.
Lakoff, George, Whose Freedom? The Battle Over America’s Most Important Idea, Ch. 5, Progressive Freedom: The Basics, Empathy and Freedom, p. 87, last paragraph, “The-responsibility-for-freedom-principle.
United Nations, Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), Articles 29 & 30, 1948, https://bit.ly/IUDHRbk
IBID., Preamble Proclamation
Speri, Alice, Memphis Police Chief Trained with Israel Security Forces, The Intercept, 02/02/2023, http://bit.ly/3HAYrDs
IBID., Article 5, Freedom from murder by state - “No one shall be subjected to torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment.”
NowThis News YouTube, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar Defends herself from Conservatives removing her from her committee assignment,
Carlson, Jeff, Republican House Conservatives Threaten Debt Limit Default to Cut Social Programs, 01/06/2023, Reuters, http://bit.ly/3DFfC5K
IBID., Article 30
Empathy Surplus Network USA (ESNU), www.empathysurplus.com
Wilken, Marie, US Aversion to International Human Rights Treaties, Global Justice Center Blog, 06/22/2017, https://bit.ly/3svOHBi