I went to law school hoping to one day help others improve their lives. I wanted to use the law to improve society. I had a dream that a single person could make a difference in society. Today, I realize that I am one of the luckiest, most fortunate people on the planet. I also realize that most of the people on the planet have little chance at a meaningful life because of poverty, discrimination, disease, war, and exploitation.

I am so lucky to have a great job as a law professor. I love teaching, I love working with students. I love discussing ideas. I still look forward to each day at work.

I am also lucky to have nutritious food, warm clothing, safe shelter, accessible, clean water, working sanitation, excellent educational opportunities, safe neighborhoods, good health, health care and insurance.

Even more, I have an amazing 9-year-old daughter, who is exceptionally curious, who reads five or six years above grade level, who loves learning, who attends a safe school, who is healthy and has access to health care, who enjoys the love, support, and resources of both parents, who has the support of a family and of friends to not just survive, but to thrive.

My regret is that more children in this world do not share my daughter’s opportunities for an amazing, safe, healthy chance at life. Our children will direct the future of the planet, yet according to the United Nations:

– More than one billion people in the world live on less than $1 a day.

– Nearly 3 billion humans on our planet live on less than $2 per day. For almost half the world’s population, poverty confines their lives to hardship and despair; to diseases that have been preventable or treatable for decades; to illiteracy; to violence; and to myriad forms of exploitation.

The U.N. reports that

– Every year 6 million children die from malnutrition before their fifth birthday.

– Every 30 seconds an African child dies of malaria.

– More than 800 million people go to bed hungry every day.

300 million of them are children. Some of them are in Tuscaloosa.

– Every 3.6 seconds another person dies of starvation.

Most of them are children under 5 years old.

– More than 40% of the world’s population, 2.6 billion people, don’t have basic sanitation.

– One billion people still use unsafe sources of drinking water.

– Five million people, mostly children, die each year from water-borne diseases.

According to CARE:

– More than 30 million children are not immunized against preventable diseases.

– Two million children are believed exploited through the commercial sex trade.

– Over 130 million children have never been to a school.

– Some countries still give educational preferences to boys over girls.

– Nearly a quarter of a billion children work.

As people committed to the human dignity of every person and as social justice advocates, we must develop new ways to combat human poverty. Rather than a war on terror, we need a global war on poverty to lift up the billions of people, and millions of children who deserve what most of us take for granted – a real chance at life. We must fight this war with even greater vigor and resources, and with the cooperation of many other wealthy countries because to do otherwise dishonors each one of us and threatens the peace of much of the world.

I had a dream for a better world. I had a dream for a world in which the people honored the basic human dignity of every human, where no individual or group would seek to maintain subordination over others.

I had a dream for a world in which those in power would rule in favor of the least among them.

I had a dream that equal rights would be the rule, not the exception.

I had a dream that government would stay out of religious affairs, leaving matters of faith to private choice, where conscience liberty would reign and where believers and nonbelievers stand equal before the state.

I had a dream of a nation that would value the life and talent of every person and that it would guarantee to each a basic education with safe schools and effective teachers.

I had a dream that prejudice would dissipate and that knowledge and experience would triumph over fear and hate.

I had an amazing dream, but it appears I was wrong! For so many Americans, my dream is mythical and wholly contrary to the nightmare of their lives.

American law and policy have done great harm to many for most of our history. We need a revision of law and policy if we are to achieve some measure of any American Dream.