DIGNITY and JUSTICE ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE

DIGNITY AND JUSTICE

                                                                    ARE NOT NEGOTIABLE

One morning at our Law College, when our new teacher to "Introduction to the Rights" entered the classroom, the first thing that he did was to ask the name of a student who was seated on the first bench: "What is your name?"

"My name is Juan, Sir."

"Leave the classroom and I don't want to ever see you in my class ever!" screamed the unpleasant teacher.

Juan was bewildered. When he got hold of his senses, he got up quickly, collected his belongings and left the classroom.

All were scared and angry; however nobody spoke anything.
"Well...." said the new teacher, "whom do the enacted Laws serve?"

We were afraid, but slowly gained confidence and we began to answer his questions.

"So that there is an order in our society."

"No!" The teacher answered

"To accomplish them."

"No!"

"So that the wrong people pay for their actions?"

"No! Is it that nobody knows to answer this question?!"

"So that there is justice," said a girl timidly.

"At last! That's it.... so that there is justice. And now, what is the use of justice?"

All began to feel uneasy by such rude attitude. However, we followed answering....

"To safeguard the human rights...."

"Well, what more?" asked the teacher.

"To differentiate the right from the wrong.... to reward the good...."

"Ok, that is not bad; however... answer this question: Did I act correctly when expelling Juan from the classroom?"

All were quiet, nobody answered.

"I want a decisive and unanimous answer!"

"No!" we all replied in unison.

"Could you all say I committed injustice?"

"Yes!"

"And why did nobody do anything in that respect? So why do we need Rules and Laws if we don't have the necessary will to practice them? Each one of you has the obligation of when you witness an injustice. All of you! Do not stay quiet, never again! Go and call Juan," he said staring at me.

On that day, I received the most practical lesson in my course of Law.

When we don't defend our Rights and particulary the rights of OTHERS, we lose our Dignity, and Dignity (like JUSTICE!) is not negotiable.