People Matter

I came to a realization today when discussing politics and the world with some close BME friends... the United States in the past 60 years has championed the concept that people matter, regardless of color, gender, ethnicity, social standing... people matter. Perhaps in a lot of regards, the privileged few seemingly hold more importance in society than the rest but generally speaking, this country has done more to advance civil rights of all over the past few decades than the rest of civilization did over millennia.

My friend brought up the current arrogance of not only the American government but the American people as well; we have this inflated view our our importance to the world at large. But my retort, although lengthy and quite emotional, was simple: this country and the ideals it stands for have given a voice to those who used to be silenced. We made people matter, regardless of whether they wanted such responsibility or not. Historically, I find this began during the Vietnam protests. During WWII, 23 million Russians, 20 million Chinese, 7 million Germans, hundreds of thousands British and American lives were lost amongst countless millions throughout the rest of the world yet these numbers did not, at the time, phase the people. The general consensus was that war was necessary and massive death was required to fuel war.

This changed, however, during the Vietnam war; over the course of the 18 year conflict, roughly 60,000 US soldiers lost their lives during combat and a great number of Americans moved to the streets in disgust. With these protests, the American people ushered in a new era of military thought in that a minimal loss of life is paramount. These beliefs, over the course of the past several decades, has trickled into nearly every aspect of American culture. Currently, two of the most important issues voters claim influence their decisions are universal health care and ending the current war; both issues have a common theme in that they seek to improve life. The conflicts of Darfur has swept through our colleges, driving thousands of students to action while we openly criticize war-mongers and hope-haters both in this country and abroad. We look down on tyrants who openly challenge civil rights and praise governments who plant messages of love and peace. And America truly started the trend...

During conversation, I then realized just how much empowerment our government and its peoples have given to those around us, almost a fault. During the Cold War, we broke the back of the Communist party and gave the oppressed a voice. We marched into Kuwait and pushed back a despot's army, giving the oppressed a voice. We helped end genocide in Rwanda and have brought international aide and attention to Darfur, giving the opressed a voice. On our own soil, we have empowered a generation of youth with the responsibility of our futures and given a stronger voice to those who choose to shape it. Civil rights have reached a new level of expansion, setting a tone for what our foreign relations should model. And although our practices are far from perfect, it has become this country's mantra to stamp out oppression, topple tyranny, end reigns of terror and to declare to this world that no matter who or what stands in our way: People Matter.