Some people don’t understand that all human beings have exactly the same rights. It doesn’t matter if those rights are recognized or not, they still exist. The right to dignity, to health, to education, to justice. That the powerful deny this isn’t surprising, it has always been like that. What’s worse is when those who have the least believe it too, when they accept they have no right to demand or expect anything. That’s not humility, it’s the result of a rotten culture that teaches people to settle.

It’s easier to control someone who doesn’t believe they’re entitled to anything. That’s why we’re told the poor should be grateful for whatever they get, even if it’s not enough. But basic rights are not favors, they are the minimum. Rights don’t depend on money or power. The fact that many forget this doesn’t change the truth, it only makes things worse. If we’re going to start somewhere, it should be by saying it out loud.