We The People: What’s the meaning of becoming “people” in plural community?
By Ricky Adityanto
We the People
The first phrase of the US Constitution that struck my mind. Spontaneously, my mind raised a question: “who is this “the people”?”. History showed us again and again that we always had disputes and arguments on who or what can be considered as “our people”, making a thick line that segregates “us” and “others”. But, could you really choose whether we were born as “us” or “others”? What if you were born as “other” in “us” neighborhood?
Do you see the problem here?
Back to the fundamental meaning of “people” and person
Again, we have to learn from history, from people that sacrificed their lives to redefine the definition of “the people”. From Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, to Nelson Mandela. Did they struggle only for the sake of “being black”? I believe the answer is no.
I believe that the deeper meaning of their struggle, their campaign, was because there were someone’s life and dignity at stake. There were men and women at the verge of death because of segregation. There was a human that died from injustice. At the most fundamental level, they did for human life and dignity.
Wouldn’t you feel angry if you are treated unjustly? Wouldn’t you feel angry if “your people” are treated as “others”, as alien and are stripped from your right as a member of a society? Wouldn’t you feel that all those violate your dignity as a human being?
So, you and I, “us” and “others”, we all have life and dignity as human beings. That line between “your people”, “our people”, and “others” in a society is just a skin-deep definition and categorization but at the core of our soul, we are all human beings. We are “the people” of humanity that have life, dignity, and in turn, rights as a member of society.
“The people” is about we as humans that have life and dignity.
So, what’s the meaning of our “skin”?
White, Black, Asian, Native American, etc. are all “the people”. But, does it mean we are the same? What’s the meaning of our uniqueness then?
All our uniqueness together is another part of the definition of “the people”. There’s no one else in this whole world that can replace you due to all your uniqueness, thought, feelings, talents, and your personal experiences. Thus, if you try to be somebody else, the world will lose the “genuine you”.
On a community scale, each community has its own culture, idealism, vision, way of life, and membership that are so unique they can not be replaced by other community. So, being White, Black, Asian, or Native American is not only about “having skin” but is your culture, your way of life, your name, being your unique self, and your community in society. And being happy with it!
Hence, “the people” is also about being your unique self in society and being proud of it!
Participation of “the people”
All these unique communities together build a society. We are part of society. Since society consists of us with our uniqueness, then we have an important part in our society: giving our unique selves.
This is then the meaning of being White, Black, Asian, or Native American as “the people” of society: being all that’s unique from where you come from, and giving all that uniqueness for the betterment of society. We can think of “the people” as a rainbow, where humanity is the raindrop and the sky with us and our personal background as its color. Being “the people” is all about celebrating humanity with its all colors and giving all those colors to the world.
Come to think of it, “the people” really have a beautiful meaning, isn’t it?
