Ringstation Coalition Human Rights Charter

In Book 2 of the Reclaimed Earth Series, there’s a reference to the Ringstation Coalition Human Rights Charter. In the final version I turned into Flame Tree Press, an overview of the charter was included in a footnote. My editor delicately informed me that formatting several epic footnotes I’d included in Book 1 had been a royal pain in the ass (especially for the e-book), and was there any way I could NOT include footnotes in The Guardian. I said sure, no big deal, I can publish it on my blog. But I don’t think I ever did…

I think as Earthlings and citizens of various nations, we each have some responsibility to think about what an ideal government would look like. And if we live in a democracy, to vote in such as way that moves us closer to that vision.

So now seems as good a time as any to publish the closest thing I have to a “political platform”. As I’m taking in the results from Tuesday’s election, my nauseous optimism has turned into sourness, despair, and no small part rage. Not a good state of mind. As a small step towards reorienting my mind towards social progress, here’s the complete footnote:

Ringstation Coalition Human Rights Charter

First: Expression (free speech, writing, assembly)

Second: Privacy (thought, perception, personal communication, consensual intimacy)

Third: Bodily Integrity (protection from abuse, forced sexuality, torture, unnecessary confinement)

Fourth: Sustenance (clean water and nutritionally sound food)

Fifth: Shelter (Earth-like pressure, gravity, air supply, housing, infrastructure)

Sixth: Justice (no detention without charge, speedy trial, innocent until proven guilty)

Seventh: Healthcare (free access to medical treatment, preventative care, regular nanodrone treatments)

Eighth: Education (no-cost full-lifespan education)

Ninth: Property (right to private property and taxation ceiling)