Shalzed is a weekly series of fictional encounters with an alien who came to Earth believing human rights could be the key to peace — not only here, but across the galaxy.
And quickly found out he was overly optimistic.
Because human rights aren’t applied universally. Especially in emotionally charged conflicts, they’re treated less like rules and more like tools — invoked to condemn others, then set aside when they get in our way.
So Shalzed begins asking sharp, uncomfortable questions about why the human rights movement so often fails in practice, and whether something better might be possible.
If you believe in human rights — but feel uneasy about how they’re used — you may be asking these same questions too.
From a recent story. . .
The Human Rights Report Amnesty Doesn’t Want You to Find
I had stopped grading Mishnah quizzes to watch the second half of the game between the Chargers and Seahawks. The game was tied, but Stafford just completed a 50 yard pass to Puka Nacua to set the Rams up first and goal in position to score another touchdown. Then Shalzed called.
“I heard Amnesty International released a report about war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated by Hamas against Israel,” he said. “But I can’t find it.”
“It would have to be on their website,” I said as the Rams got stuffed trying to run up the middle.
“Their home page has links to articles titled, ‘Stand with women accused of witchcraft in Ghana’ and ‘Demand accountability in Tanzania’, but there is nothing about Hamas.”
I typed Amnesty.org into my phone and clicked on the page about Israel and the Occupied territories.
Continue reading or receive future stories by email.