EVOLUTION OR REVOLUTION

People protect what they view as their privileges by right of birth or by right of hard work. Sometimes what people view as their privilege by right is changed, because of a conflicting right.

An example of this is the privileges which men were given prior to women getting the right to vote. Now, in most countries, men are not the only people to vote, to work, and to make decisions which other must follow.

Some men are still upset by this.

Another example is the American Chinese, who were once prevented from owning land in the US.

As societies grow, more and more groups demand and get equal treatment in voting, in working, and in making decisions which others must follow.

Some societies decide that the groups demanding equality will not get equality. Sometimes the groups denied equality decide to revolt against the society. Sometimes this is done peacefully and sometimes there is a violent revolt.

I am against violence. I believe in Gandhi's philosophy of peaceful protest. I believe that, usually, violent revolutions continue being violent even after their initial goals are met.

HOWEVER, if you are a government which is ignoring large, continuous peaceful protests, OR, you are a government which meets ALL peaceful protest with violence and arrests, then you risk a violent revolution.

I STRONGLY BELIEVE that ALL PEOPLE must be treated equally and fairly. I STRONGLY BELIEVE that we must listen to the minorities, the majorities, the women, the men, the old, the young, the ugly, the beautiful, the poor, the rich. EVERYBODY needs to be listened to and treated equally.

If you want to know if your government is NOT treating people equally, there are some tests you can ask yourself.

Are the roads in poor areas as good as the roads in rich areas?

Are the schools in poor areas as good as the schools in rich areas?

Are jobs given on merit or are jobs given based on the family background and/or influence of the person getting a job?

Does a poor person have a chance to become rich through education and hard work?

Do the police pay as much attention to a crime against a poor person as they pay to a crime against a rich person?

EQUALITY is HARD WORK. EQUALITY is especially hard work for those people who are benefiting from better, but unequal, treatment.

REMEMBER THAT EVOLUTION IS ALWAYS BETTER THAN REVOLUTION.