Tejas Justice is a discussion on the values and issues relating to Human Rights in the State of Texas. It will examine our modern social and political landscape through the lens of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while taking both a pragmatic and ethical look at the social, political, and historical development of social justice in the Lone Star State.
On December 10, 1948 the United Nations General Assembly approved the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. This document, largely developed by the United States and other western powers, contains 30 articles dedicated to the belief that acknowledging the dignity and equality of all members of the human family is the cornerstone of freedom, justice, and peace in the world (United Nations, 1948). The Declaration has been used for over 60 years to promote social progress and an international respect for freedom. In the modern era its principles have grown critical for a volatile and changing world, and in the State of Texas there is a real, if struggling, opportunity to use these principles to enhance the focus of our discourse.
Texas is a region like no other in the country. It possesses a remarkable history full of both bravery and tyranny; it has thousands of acres of wilderness and its natural beauty is unlike any other in the world; and even today its people possess a strength of will and of character inherent to our unique culture. Texas is a land where great stories are told and where great things can still happen.
But we Texans also have a great amount of work to do. Our values are steeped in justice, but sometimes it is easier to call justice punishment instead of opportunity. We believe in democracy, but still work to disenfranchise. We believe in family and the importance of children, but are even now working to limit the future of those who will eventually lead the state. Texas is a land of great opportunity, but for that opportunity to be open to the people, rather than to more powerful interests, its people must speak up.
The spirit inherent in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights is the guiding light which the people of our state can follow in pursuit of social justice. The coming decades will be critical to the future of our state, and it is up to our people and our leaders to traverse them wisely. We have a lot of work to do, but Texans have never been a people who are afraid of hard work.
Over the course of this discussion we will attempt to shed light on issues related to Human Rights in the Lone Star State. Our mission is both to acknowledge those people and events which are strengthening social justice and also to speak out when its principles are attacked. There is not a political party, constituency, or population group within our borders that does not want the State of Texas to continue to be strong. Different folks have different views, but all can agree that by investing in our people we are investing in our future.
When the pages of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are unfolded it is clear that empowering the people is its single greatest goal. If we Texans choose, and if we are able to truly examine our politics with both pragmatism and ethics, then this historic document could prove to be one of the greatest tools for the future of our state.
References
United Nations. (1948). The Universal Declaration of Human Rights. United Nations General Assembly. www.un.org
