The success of Christianity was assured by St. Paul's consistent direction to move beyond parochial thought to see the universal vision, ever outward through the categorizations by nationality, ethnicity, color, servitude and gender.

Similarly, the American Constitution speaks in universal terms. The story of human rights in the 20th century, from Brown v. the Board of Education on, has moved from categories of race and color, to ethnicity, to gender and sexuality, to alienage - moving ever outward toward the vision of a common humanity. The 14th Amendment speaks of providing for equal protection of the law and due process of law not only to citizens but to "persons."

The strength of human rights in any nation may best be judged by our treatment of "the stranger." At one or another time in the human story, we all get our chance to be that stranger, the alien in our midst.

Ed Firmage

Salt Lake City