Equality.

I've found it interesting this week, as we dip our toes in the tides of emancipation, women's suffrage, and politics according to the elite. Interesting that a nation that fought for its freedom from British suppression, suppressed blacks in the same breath. The Yankees who protested southern slavery treated women and children like slaves themselves, not affording them rights or fair pay during the industrial revolution, no property rights for women and no right to even retain custody of her own children or her husband's assets upon his demise.

Interesting that the first "non-aristocrat" to gain presidential office (Andrew Jackson) and to fight for the good of the "middle man" was the very president who sent the natives packing across the Mississippi along the Trail of Tears that would be the demise of so many, so that those "middle men" would have more land to claim.

Interesting that Davy Crockett was a congressman, not *just* the legendary woodsman we know him for, who ran against Jackson, and fought for equality on behalf of the natives. Sounds like he would have made one killer red neck president (wonder if he took "Betsy" with him into congress.... =D).

Interesting that "Democracy" isn't really all inclusive. That presidential campaigning requires VERY deep pockets, and therefore makes it near impossible for a common person, however well their character may serve the office, to run.

Interesting to note that Stanton and her suffragette co-horts were for the most part upstanding and respectable christian women, who only wanted a right to education, property, and property and parental rights for wives upon their husband's demise. Today, feminism has been associated with the degeneration of biblical roles and values within the home and family, but really, in it's inaugural form, most Christians today would have to classify themselves as feminists. Would we not fight for those rights as strongly as we fight for the rights of the oppressed and downtrodden?

Also made me think how the bible exhorts us to fight. For what though? Not for OUR rights. But for the rights of the oppressed. The orphans, the widows, the homeless, the displaced. Wow. One of the questions that came up in class was bare bones, if you had to choose between a president that made things better for YOU, or one who made things fair for EVERYONE who would you choose. That had me squirming. I think I may have some serious re-thinking to do in the political department.

Also interesting how some (not all) feminists today are still toting women's rights in the abortion arena and others have taken up the fight for the rights of the babe in the womb. When it comes to equality, somehow we seem to have trouble wrapping our brains around it. We see when OUR rights are not being protected, but do we really fight for the equality of OTHERS?

This leads me to the question of whether we as Christians should fight for non-christians to live according to our standard. Should we fight for the "right" to say the Lord's prayer in public schools which are themselves a secular institution? Would we argue the same "rights" for Muslims to have portions of the Q'ran recited by the class at large? No? Well.... we must wake up and face the music that we are *not* a christian nation anymore. We have no more right for the Lord's prayer to be said in school than the followers of any other religion do. And we better realize what we are asking for if we try to force those rights. We better understand what the term equality really means.