If humanity were strictly on a sliding scale: pitting wealth, independence, size, and physical development some of the most competitive people are— Wealth: Heiress Paris Hilton, Intelligence: Scientist Stephen Hawking, Size: Sumo Wrestler Akebono Tarō, Independence: Survival Expert Bear Grylls In a world where individuals’ worth is determined by capacity: these four fight it out and brute strength probably carries the day. This scaled world where Sumo Taro wins (he drags Paris by her hair back to his dojo if she’s lucky) ushers in a society tiered by brute strength. Strength over ingenuity causes humanity to regress. Alternatively, Sir Hawking, if given a heads up, outthinks the others and they’re done. Personally, my money is on Stephen Hawking. He would probably utilize his abilities to employ technology and take out the competition. Of course, he believes that technological advancement will result in artificial intelligence that will some day end humanity. So, in this scenario Survival of the Fittest means humanity dies out in favor of mechanics. (Money to a good scenario for Grylls’ survival prowess being a combination of brains and physical acumen) It’s fun to tease out what if scenarios, however, ranking individuals by strength and ability is definitely nothing new: gladiators have battled for supremacy and women have been drug off by their hair for eons. In America, what are our sliding scales? What makes someone competitive for survival? Historically, we have seen sliding human rights scales determined through skin color. Humanity’s worth boiled down to pigmentation. It was called slavery.
Abraham Lincoln argued against the moving target of worth:
“It is color, then; the lighter, having the right to enslave the darker? Take care. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with a fairer skin than your own.”
You do not mean color exactly? You mean the whites are intellectually the superiors of the blacks, and, therefore have the right to enslave them? Take care again. By this rule, you are to be slave to the first man you meet, with an intellect superior to your own.
Today, the sliding scales of humanity are back. The criteria have changed, but the consequences of disregarding fundamental worth are even more devastating than before: in place of pigmentation American culture has embraced the Economics of Evolution. A system that salutes only to strength. The most troubling aspect of Evolutionary Economics is that it sets up humanity on a sliding scale of its rawest instinct: survival. In this monetary system purchasing power is strength and survival is the only thing worth having. Evolution mocks equality. It gives strength to the strong; it assigns a moving target of value to people where fixed human worth should be. Evolution is a tiered system that places human beings on a scale with animals. In turn, their animal instincts scale them down from their humanity. When followed to evolution’s logical conclusion, we either devolve or evolve out– base instincts lessen us or we are subjugated to someone else. Our basic instinct of survival can also be our basest when survival is the supreme goal. Ultimately, it is self-defeating. Evolution spends posterity itself, which becomes a sacrificial currency spent on survival. Nowhere is this more evident than in the legalization of abortion. The abortion industry has answered the sliding scale question using subjective criteria everyday since Roe v Wade was legalized in 1973. Raw subjectivity of worth has bandied human life around for decades. A handful of 1970’s men coined variant viability under their title of Supreme Court justice. Consequently, more than three thousand individuals die at the hands of the able. Daily. Posterity has been deposed in favor of today’s possibility. The sliding scales pitting wealth, independence, size, and physical development are in action every day: they determine for those in the womb who will live and die. Specifically, those that are born into poor homes, that are dependent in one fashion or another, that are young, or small are often sentenced to death. Abortion gives rights to the strong that they have no right to. Its tyranny over posterity, its triumph of brute strength over equality of worth is a truly regressive stance. Unavoidably, abortion in many ways has taken us back to the days of slavery. Those most likely to slide on the abortion scale are minorities. Abortion’s apologists rank economic stability over human rights. Once again, minorities are the primary losers in this system. Powerful abortion propaganda has purposefully profited from subjugating the vulnerable. Today, more than twenty-five percent of African Americans have lost their lives to abortion rights. Minorities are significantly more likely to be aborted when compared with white children. Why do poverty, career options, and fear exclude them from the basic right to life? Significantly, the sliding scale of worth applies to everyone. Who is not weaker, poorer, dependent, or smaller then someone else? The moment subjective scales are used to determine worth every individual is endangered. Only recognizing and uncompromisingly protecting the fundamental worth of each individual means true equality. Those whose interests are benefitted by abortion fight for it: career advancement, relationship status, economic sense, etc. Have a care though– Lincoln closed his anti-slavery argument with:
But, say you, it is a question of interest; and, if you can make it your interest; you have the right to enslave another. Very well. And if he can make it his interest, he has the right to enslave you.
One is forced to ask: to whose interest could I be subjected? To whom, may I be enslaved? Enlightenment embraces inalienable equality. Progress equates to universal equality, even while surrendering some freedom. More than forty-nine million Americans have lost their lives to abortion since Roe v. Wade was legalized. Especially, minorities have been the victims of the Economics of Evolutionary Principle. Victory over slavery through the Civil War means very little if freedom is only awarded to those that survive the strong. Why have we regressed so far that Liberty is something abortion victims can’t even fight for because they haven’t even been given a chance at a Life? Fundamental worth is definitive of humanity. Strength. Intelligence. Wealth. Independence. All fail before it, because without this foundation we are foundlings of fear.