Shundo David Haye – Zen Priest

‘Since the making of the U.S. Constitution, people in this country have voiced their yearning to enjoy the rights, privileges and immunities it offers. Their appeals make up a uniquely American songbook that each American president has inherited. It is filled with lyrics that reflect the sovereignty claims of Indigenous populations and the freedom petitions of those who arrived from other continents, some in chains. In time, the rights movements grew, led by those whose ancestors suffered the incomparable indignity of chattel slavery and those who were denied full citizenship and enfranchisement because of their race, gender, ethnicity, or gender or sexual identity. And today, those drawn to the American democracy to escape violence and political and economic death add to the appeals. As the poet Langston Hughes reminded us, they “too, sing America” and share a common theme of the recognition of human decency.

If Ms. Harris is elected president, she will be in a unique position to ensure that all of these songs are reflected in our democracy and the structures that govern it.’ (from the New York Times)

Centering human dignity, not just in the US, but for all people around the world, would be a good place to start.