SOVEREIGNTY vs HUMANITY: Don't Tread On Me

In my associations with Native American tribes, I've come to have a great respect for the word, "sovereignty." Native American Tribes, of course, have a unique relationship of "sovereignty" within the sovereignty of the United States of America. In essence, each tribe enjoys sovereignty in much the same way as a state does.

Nations enjoy sovereignty. No international organization exists that has any right whatsoever to interfere with the sovereignty of any nation, nor does any one nation have any right to interfere with the sovereignty of another. When that does happen, through an act of war or a violation of treaty or international law, it is clear that the nation whose rights have been abridged has some international right to retaliate.

In short, the United States has no trouble in getting its back up when another nation suggests to us how we should run our internal affairs. And, I suppose, that's justifiably so. Yet, it seems that we have no hesitation in telling another nation how to deal with IT'S internal affairs. Generally speaking, that's wrong.

In other words, I would have a tough time invading Hitler's Germany to correct the execution of Jews had Germany not violated international law and sovereignty by invading and going to war against other countries. That's where I stand on national sovereignty.

Now then, we Americans are predominantly Christians and Jews and we take seriously our obligations to our fellow humanity. That means, we will share our food when they are hungry and we will extend comfort, medical aid and other outreaches of care to those who face hunger or natural disaster.

So, now we are faced with a perplexity. There is a nation that is devastated by hunger, death, medical injuries and disease due to a cyclone. Hundreds of thousands of human beings are suffering and we have the means to provide aid; yet, their sovereign national government refuses to allow us to do so. So, the rights of sovereignty and the rights of humanity clash.

What is the answer? Do we violate their sovereignty to enforce aid? Do we recognize their sovereignty at the expense of human suffering and death? The plain simple fact is that, should we elect to do the right thing and drop food and medical supplies by air, we open the door for some other excuse in the future to interfere and abrogate the sovereign rights of another nation; that would be an offense that we Americans would not ourselves tolerate.

It is sad that the rights of a sovereign national government should trump the rights of humanity, and I for one cannot stomach the prospect. So, in my mind, we need to take proactive action to provide basic humanitarian aid... nothing more unless we get permission.

But, at the same time, I have to wonder why this country consciously allows its own citizens and its own poor to suffer every day for lack of food, medical supplies and care, lack of shelter, lack of human care; is it not hypocritical for us to demand that another sovereign nation allow us to help them take care of their humanity when we do not take care of our own?

That's MY AMERICAN OPINION, respectfully submitted.