(As posted to my Gazette blog)

I am always somewhat startled — and saddened — when people from countries that oppress the rights of citizens tell the rest of the world to butt out. “If we want to deny equal rights to our LGBT citizens, we will. It’s none of your business!”

Except that it is our business in this ever-shrinking global village when the cry of one individual can echo around the world in the twinkling of an Internet eye.

Countries like Russia, Croatia and Cameroon — indeed, every nation — cannot hide discrimination for very long. And anybody with any degree of compassion for their fellow man and woman will feel some empathy for those who suffer at the hands of superstitious religionites and various despots and bullies.

As Theosophist G. de Purucker wrote:

“The great lost chord of modern civilization is forgetfulness of the fact in nature of universal brotherhood, which means not merely a sentimental or political brotherhood; it means that we are all of one common cosmic or spiritual origin, and that what affects one affects all . . .” – G. de Purucker

Indeed, there are no outsiders in the global village.

Jillian