EQUAL RIGHTS, Mel Packer, April 2010

In a true democracy, equal rights belong to ALL people, not just those with whom you agree, nor those who look like you, nor those who worship the same god as you.

Racism, sexism, homophobia, and all other words that describe discrimination are simply symptoms of a larger disease called “disunity”, a disease that prevents all of us from working together to oppose those who control our lives.

The same-sex couple down the street that sends their kids to school with my kids is not my enemy, nor are they yours. People with a different skin color want the same things you want in life, jobs, peace, income and family security. You are not laid off because someone of a different gender got your job, you’re laid off because some fat cat corporate banker found that more profits could be made by moving your job to another part of the world and exploiting a different group of workers.

When we fall for the old game and participate in or support discriminatory practices, we act in an undemocratic way and against our own best interests by throwing up barricades that prevent us from acting WITH our neighbors, co-workers, even family members to fight our real enemy, the fat cats who run this country.

Remember, we ALL do better when we all do better. It’s that simple.