These days, all you hear is about “Rights”, human rights, gay rights, the right wing and also prisoners’ rights. All these rights are championed by various individuals, groupings, and organisations, all pitching their views in favour of their rights. But while I do agree that it is the prerogative of persons to fight for what they believe in, such as same sex marriage and the rights of women to equal pay in sports, or in their varying forms of employment, my big question is: Who is defending what is wrong? In other words, who’s defending the victims of some obvious wrongs?
As far as I am concerned, it is wrong — especially in my country — to have a suspect behind bars for in excess of five years, without having his or her day in court. I also think when minors are sexually molested, especially by adults, that is wrong. But such practices are widely accepted and tolerated, especially in my country, and I deem that to be very wrong.
I respect the religious rights and rites of others, but even if it’s accepted by those who believe in different religions, personally, I think it is wrong to impose religious values on a people to the point of killing them if they violate such values, as is said to be done in Iran.
It is also wrong that Europe, America and the developed countries to dictate trade arrangements for developing countries, enforcing conditions for buying and selling, thus suppressing the country’s ability of developing its independence in productivity.
It is also wrong when the industrial world knows that the major causes of climate change is a result of such extraction of fossil fuels and related minerals and despite the consequences, they feel their course is justified.
It is also wrong to pay high wages to boards and administrators of various corporations and institutions that fail to deliver; and because of that there is continual non-productivity and so many are suppressed and in some cases are living in poverty.
But, all these wrongs seem to have no champions for the causes of their victims. Nobody fights against such wrongs or champions the treatment that refugees get at the various international borders.
No one fights the wrongs associated with the spiraling cost of living and global high prices.
So, there are so many wrongs that should be of concern but champions of the rights associated with them are very few, like human Rights lawyer Mary Francis who has stood the test of time and survived insults over time too, while others heading rights groups remain quiet and invisible because they fear getting the same treatment, or are only interested in fighting cases that will bring money.
The right to an improved society cannot be achieved with so much wrong, as they are both intertwined. It is like good and evil, night and day, clear lines have to be drawn to deal with both concerns. Wrongs can be made right, rights should not be a selective virtue and what is wrong needs to be dealt with, if not we condone wrongdoing and still expect to make things right, like washing our hands and wiping them with dirt.
One of the biggest wrongs is political wrongs, persons who claim to represent the masses, but end-up giving false representation. It is also wrong to spend billions on warfare and in contrast leave so many hundreds of millions hungry.
What’s wrong with today is that we are fighting for the wrong causes. Too much self-gratification and not enough consideration, too many followers and not enough leaders of merit. So, to think right and not deal with the wrongs is fruitless.