March 23, 2013Dear Sir,I wrote a comment to Glen Chase’s letter titled ‘Get a back-bone’. Essentially he was extolling the virtue of standing up for one’s conviction. It’s easy as a rhetorical comment to tout bravery etc, but it’s not a policy statement, unless you’re on a battle field.Let’s go to it, asking this public to stand up and show your colours and be known for who you truly are by what you say or set the example and let’s get the freedom of speech train rolling so no one will ever need to hide their identity.I can’t argue against the sweetness of that sound, but the reality is bitter. We cannot plant carrots and expect to pick potatoes. We reap what we sow. I know all of us have heard numerous times at the opening of major events in the USA such as the start of the Super Bowl the song being sung by some superstar with the closing words of the Star Spangled Banner “The land of the free and the home of the brave”. Well that’s precisely the ideal world we should be seeking, but we will need to sow the same if not similar seeds. They in the USA can sing it with tears because it represents an idea and it becomes a dream with real value, even though for the most part unfulfilled.We as a country have not begone with the idea, let alone begotten, or laden with a dream.Every political construct has as its base a value which can translate into a concept of what a human means. The idea that caused a revolution back in the 17th and 18th centuries was based on a new concept and hence value for a human being that had gained sway. The human was now redefined as a consciousness and not just as a weak utility and an evil that needed to be guided within a system. This consciousness was considered part of nature and pure essentially good and not evil.That consciousness was considered as needing the liberty to grow and become a precious commodity in the world. Further the idea was that because this human consciousness was of a natural and organic source it has an inalienable right which had its own sovereignty above any governance. That governance, if needed, should be overthrown, if such rights were not afforded. Contrary to that thought is that we as humans live in a world where there are no rights except that which government grants or confers. It may sound insignificant but the difference between the two human concepts, is as different as night and day and was the fuel for revolution.The former creates a society of free individual souls like a thousand points of light with united individual power who creates governments and the latter example is about a society or governance that is the light and the individual members is only tinder or fuel for the bright light of society. Add to that all the knock on’s like loyal party member; loyal member of my clan, my race, my whatever. Fairly soon you get to realise why we don’t exist as an empowered person and when you ask the underpowered to stand, even if they are in parliament and received votes as a representative of a constituency they cannot stand with authority. We reap what we sow and that is what we planted. Only in recognising your humanity in consciousness can you find unity every other construct leaves you divided by something. When we use the narrow construct whatever someone says or does is seen through the prism or lens of race, or ethnicity, or class, or religion, or, or. But when you are human you just see or hear an idea or as thought which is good or bad.So if we want a true human society and want to create the land of the free and become the home of the brave, we will first have to understand what our humanity is then claim it.KHALID WASI