The UN Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948) is very short and worth a read
In times of turmoil, it is sometimes difficult to think over the sound of the yelling.
The US has an election tomorrow that is widely seen as having very high stakes. Election season, and politics more broadly, always involve a bending and reshaping of individuals' conception of reality to conform to the present needs and aims of today's political parties. Past truths that felt as solid and unshakeable as the ground beneath our feet give way to uneven ground. Some people deal with it by turning it off; some join the fight. Some double down on their beliefs; others may question some of their beliefs. We might occasionally be tempted to question our own sanity and perception of reality.
In times like these, I like to reach into the past. In the past, the past was just as hotly contested as the present. But as the past recedes, the shouting machines of that time turn their loudspeakers to the unfolding present that came after, and so on. As the past moves out of the frame, something calmer, more solid, is left behind for our quiet inspection.
Today I am thinking of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a groundbreaking UN document. Written largely in response to the horrors of World War II, it was accepted by the UN General Assembly in 1948. Like any document, it sits in its place in history, and was written by human beings in a messy negotiation process that determined what would be included and excluded; as such I do not mean to hold it up as a perfect document handed down to us by greater beings. Still, in three quarters of a century, it has been a shining light in many trying times, and much of it still resonates today as deeply relevant.
So if you want a break from the noise of today's election, I invite you to read it. Perhaps this remarkably short document can give us all some inspiration as to what a hopeful future might look like. Here's a link to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. If you're looking for a preview, it starts off with this banger:
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.
And of course, if you have the right to vote in the US, I encourage you to exercise that Universal Human Right:
The will of the people shall be the basis of the authority of government; this will shall be expressed in periodic and genuine elections which shall be by universal and equal suffrage and shall be held by secret vote or by equivalent free voting procedures.