Crossing the street without looking

I read an editorial today that reminded me of something that stuck in my mind about a month ago. I was leaving work and getting ready to cross the street to get to the parking structure where Baloo (my cute single girl's car that is now quite inconvenient for our growing family) was parked. There was a group of 4 or 5 students walking in front of me. The lone girl in the group stepped out into the street without looking. She didn't even wait to get into the crosswalk. Not too big of a deal, except a car had already started to turn left into that lane. She didn't even see the car, she was so busy talking to her friends. One of her friends reached out to stop her and the car slammed on the brakes. And the girl? She walked on, clueless and unfazed. For some reason, I seethed inside. Maybe I was shocked at her lack of caution. I grew up being taught that crosswalks weren't magic. There was the chance that a driver might not be paying attention so I still had to protect myself. Maybe I was annoyed because I've had to slam on the brakes a few times when somebody (usually talking on a cell phone) decides to cross the street in front of my right turn just when the white man turns into a blinking red hand. Most likely, I was frustrated by the lack of consideration she was showing. Consideration was at the core of the editorial I read today.

We as a country (or maybe even a human race) have seemed to have lost a value for consideration. Instead, we continually talk about "our rights." And rights seem to be about the importance of what I want instead of what you may want (or even need). I read an article about Constitutional rights a while back by Walter Williams. The excerpt that struck me was this:

The way our Constitution's framers used the term, a right is something that exists simultaneously among people and imposes no obligation on another. For example, the right to free speech, or freedom to travel, is something we all simultaneously possess. My right to free speech or freedom to travel imposes no obligation upon another except that of non-interference. In other words, my exercising my right to speech or travel requires absolutely nothing from you and in no way diminishes any of your rights.

Nowadays, it doesn't seem to matter what others may want. If a group of people want something, they'll try to push it through loudly with political means despite potential infringement on the rights of others. It kind of bugs me that special interest groups will take issues to the Supreme Court that have already been decided by the Legislature. Even when a majority wins a decision, the minority often wants to impose its desires on the rest of the country. Kinda inconsiderate. I've noticed the loss of consideration in social aspects also. People seem to flaunt their rights to free speech. You know, like having to listen to the sexcapades of a neighboring group of people in loud, off-color language. What if I don't want to hear what you did last night? ...Or what you think of this or that? Can be inconsiderate also. I've even seen the focus on rights enter into the church setting. You know, when people insist that church should be done a certain way. Or that they would best be served if the church did this. What about people who have no experience of church? What if they would actually consider God if we weren't so hung up on what we want? Inconsiderate? I'm starting to see how culture is swinging toward a norm where people feel more and more comfortable demanding their rights at the expense of others. And we are growing less and less considerate.

I think I get so hung up on the battle between rights and consideration because it's a battle in my own life. I'm a structured person. I like things just so and I think I know everything. And sometimes, I forget to (or don't bother to) consider that others might not like things the way I do. So the example of Jesus keeps banging me over the head. He knew what His rights were, yet He chose to consider those rights as less important than serving people. If that's what Jesus did, then I have no justification to think that my rights are more important than someone else's. I wonder what this country (this world) would be like if we all chose to look not only to our own interests, but the interests of others. Less controversial Supreme Court decisions? More congenial relationships with strangers? More growing churches? Perhaps it could just be easier to drive without worrying about hitting people who aren't looking before crossing.

Clarice