Article October 13, 2003 ISSUE

The divine right to be included

By Ron Ballard

Many people feel excluded at some time in life. Sometimes it's due to discrimination—by race, gender, age, religion, peer group, social status. Other times, people may feel that good is just not coming to them the way it is to others.

No matter what form exclusion takes, it's pretty demoralizing to feel left out. Fundamentally, everyone has a right to feel included, to belong and be respected, and many cultures recognize that basic right. But to say it is a right, and actually to experience it, are two different things. Even if a nation establishes constitutional rights to inclusion, it's no guarantee that everyone is going to experience the benefits equally.