There are no shades of grey

I often lament the loss of nuance and subtlety in today's modern political discourse. I realize that it is much more efficient to see everything as a binary choice: liberal or conservative, Democrat or Republican, right or wrong, me or you. However, our discussions of government should not be efficient. We need to dive deep into all the complexities of the issues because few things are black or white. Most issues reside in shades of grey. It is in those shades of grey that the seemingly opposing sides can find their commonality.

However, a precious few issues require us to take a firm stand on one side or the other.

You either believe in the founding principle of this nation:


"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all [persons] are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--"
                                                                             - Declaration of Independence
or you don't.

"These aren't people." - Donald J. Trump

You either believe in equality and the humanity of all persons:

"Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world,

"Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, . . .

"Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction."

                                                                          - Preamble to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights

or you don't.

"These are animals." - Donald J. Trump

This is a black or white issue. You either believe that every human being is equal, including those you despise the most, or you believe that some are better and are more deserving of basic human rights than others. The problem with choosing the latter is that you have to have faith that you will always remain in the "more deserving" group, and that others will always recognize you as "more deserving. History has shown us, however, that that rarely happens. People who need to view themselves as superior to others will quickly turn on each other to maintain their own position. And people who are viewed as less deserving have a way of rising up against the people who have subjugated them to maintain their own position. The very existence of the United States is a result of such an uprising.

Still, the belief in the inherent equality of all humanity should not be based on crass calculations about self-preservation. It should be based on a basic sense of decency and compassion, on a recognition that we are all inextricably connected. 

On the inherent equality of all human beings, there are no shades of grey.