When we work to ensure fairness of rights and dignity for groups of people outside of our own personal identity group, there are times when persecuted groups will question our role in working for “their” freedom.

Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) uses the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) as our baseline on shared universal human rights. What this clearly points out is that we do not work for the rights, equality, liberty, dignity, and security of any one group, but for all people. Whatever the group, their struggle is our struggle. An attack on their shared human rights is an attack on our shared human rights.

During times of high tension during persecution, it is easy for those of us in groups that get persecuted to forget. It is easy to believe that someone else will not understand, and that only ones who care and have any right to speak to defend our human rights are members of our group. That is a natural, emotional reaction, which people of compassion will understand. But the only to defeat persecution is to stand together, one way or another, providing solidarity in whatever way we can. Those who believe they are empowered to persecute and oppress one group will not stop there; they will always move on to persecute others.

Solidarity in our shared universal human rights is our greatest means to combat the persecution of our fellow human beings in America and around the world.

We can – because we must.  Together.

In the hard times and the easy times.  All the time.

That is what it means to be Responsible for Equality And Liberty.