Human Rights Violations in the United States PART I

The United States has been hailed as a land of freedom, equality, and democracy, and for the most part, we as a nation enforce these ideals admirably. However, I can't help but feel troubled when I think about some of the restrictions upon the rights of fellow Americans. Therefore, I decided to post about a topic that isn't discussed a lot--HUMAN RIGHTs VIOLATIONS IN THE USA.

Let's start with the fact that integration of blacks and whites was not achieved in the US until the late 1960's. This is absolutely unacceptable. Voting restrictions and improper education/job opportunities for blacks made it almost impossible for African Americans to gain a quality education or have a voice in their own country, which is both absurd and infuriating. Even now, discrepancies between black and white are clear. Because equal access to education is a recent occurrence, the average African American household income is about $20,000 less than the average white household income. Furthermore, in the 1980's and 1990's the US Department of Agriculture discriminated against tens of thousands of qualified black farmers by denying them much-needed loans.

Since the historic election of African American president Barack Obama (a huge step against racism), racial relations have been getting rapidly better. Or have they? To me, many Americans allowed Obama's race to play a much bigger role in the presidential election than it should have. After all, I didn't hear anyone accuse John McCain, Joe Biden, or Sarah Palin of not being an American citizen. The ugly truth is that, although racism has become politically incorrect, it is still very much present in American society, and it always will be. Presently, however, there are no pieces of law that actively discriminate based upon race, something that cannot be said for many nations. In that way, I feel that the United States is ensuring the human rights of African Americans.

What's Going On in...Uganda?

In my opinion, the atrocities committed by the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda have been swept under the rug for far too long. People know almost nothing about an outright humanitarian emergency, and this is a huge concern. So here are the basics:

The LRA rebel movement can be traced back to Alice Lakwena, who believed the Holy Spirit ordered her to overthrow the Ugandan government for being unjust. Lakwena and her followers, known as the Holy Spirit Movement, gained momentum. Lakwena was exiled leaving no leader of the movement, Therefore, Joseph Kony, who claimed to be Lakwena’s cousin, took control and transformed Lakwena’s rebel army into the LRA.

As Kony became unpopular, he resorted to abducting children and forcing them to join his rebel army. It has been estimated that 90% or more of his army were abducted as young children. The horrific crimes that these children have been forced to commit by Kony and his men are stomach-churning. Furthermore, if these child soldiers are able to return to their families, they are traumatized and unable to function with other children.

Furthermore, the LRA has violated inherent rights of women during the Northern Ugandan conflict. Terrified women have been raped by members of the rebel army, and many have been forced into marriages with LRA members (often at a very young age).

Sadly, these atrocities have been largely ignored by the nations who have the ability to help the oppressed. However, there is an organization that is very near to my heart which attempts to completely eradicate the LRA's influence in Uganda and surrounding nations. This organization, Invisible Children works by raising awareness in the United States, making change happen within the US government, and using donations to aid the innocent civilians that have fallen prey to Joseph Kony and his army.

Sources: http://www2.invisiblechildren.com/history-of-the-war

http://www.child-soldier.org/children-in-conflict-child-soldiers-in-uganda

http://townipproject09.wikispaces.com/file/view/ChildSold.jpg/70859091/ChildSold.jpg

Heading to Haiti?!

Fantastic news! I might be going to Haiti with my dad this summer to help out in a clinic there! He's a doctor who has always been interested in giving medical aid overseas, and that desire increased after the earthquake devastated Haiti last year. At first, when my dad mentioned it to me, I was unexpectedly uneasy. After all, I am so interested in human rights and international studies. I guess I knew that experiencing Haiti in the way that real, sick, impoverished Haitians experience it would be...uncomfortable. And honestly, I like my comfortable life in the United States. I guess I was scared by the thought of breaking the boundaries between my sheltered little world and the huge, poverty-stricken, world that lies beyond. Upon a lot of reflection, however, I realized that a little bit of discomfort might be exactly what I need to truly become a student of global studies. So my dad has bargained that if I act as translator (I've studied French for four years), I can accompany him to a clinic near Port-au-Prince. My reactions span from giddy excitement to jittery apprehension; most of all though, I feel so gifted to be able to explore all corners of the world and see it as it really is for millions of people living in agonizing poverty. I know that (if it happens) it will be a life-changing experience.

Looking on the Bright Side: Top 5 Human Rights Victories

Before I elaborate upon the many human rights atrocities occurring throughout the world, I wanted to take a look at a few miraculous human rights success stories of the 21st century. So here is my comprehensive list of the greatest human rights victories from 2000-2011 (in no particular order)...

1. Justice for the People of Darfur: Obviously, no apologies or promises for the future can take away the sting of international ignorance regarding the tragedies in Darfur. However, it was a huge victory for human rights when the International Criminal Court charged Sudanese President (Omar al-Bashir) with genocide in 2010. The atrocities in Darfur span back to 2003 and involve the rape, murder, and torture of thousands upon thousands of Sudanese people. Making President Omar al-bashir accountable for his crimes does not erase the 300,000 people who died in this conflict, nor does it counteract the 2.6 million who were displaced. However, it sets a crucial precedent in the prosecution of human rights violators.

2. Major Steps Gay Rights: The 21st century has brought major gains in sexual equality. For example, in 2008, the Ugandan High Court decided that constitutional rights of the nation apply to gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transexual citizens. Gay couples have the right to marry in 12 countries, as well as Washington DC and California. Most could not have imagined in 2000 that these gains could have been made in 11 years.

3. Salim Hamdan Recieving a Fair Trial: Salim Hamdan was attained in Guantanamo Bay for being Osama bin Laden's personal driver (which he admitted). However, the United States justice system had violated the Uniform Code of Military Justice by not giving Hamdan a competent tribunal to determine whether or not he was a POW. This established that the United States HAS violated the human rights of potential terrorist detainees. However, it is quite encouraging that we are willing to fix our mistakes and give even a terrorist supect a fair trial. In so doing, the United States shows terrorist organizations that we are not willing to flout the system out of fear/desparation.

4. Indicting Former Liberian President, Charles Taylor: In my opinion, there is nothing more imporant than making human rights violators accountable for their actions. That's why it was a huge success when Charles Taylor (ex-president of Liberia) was captured and charged for crimes against humanity for the atrocities in Sierra Leone (he supported rebel forces guilty of horrific crimes against innocent civilians). Did this erase the happenings in Sierra Leone? Absolutely not. However, it is so important to set a precedent of no tolerance for the violation of human rights.

5. Formation of Invisible Children: Every new human rights advocacy group brings a message of hope to oppressed peoples around the globe. However, I am especially encouraged by the Invisible Children non-profit organization. The group was started by three nineteen year old guys struck by their expereinces during a recent trip to Uganda. Their philosophy, that awareness entails action, is fantastic and the approach that they take to relief in Uganda is brilliant. I believe that Invisible Children is so fresh, young, and bold that it just might hold the potential to halt the use of child soldiers by the Lord's Resistance Army.

Introductions

Hello all! I'm Raney, and I am a high school junior from East Tennessee! Recently, I became very interested in international studies (particularly human rights), and I have become somewhat of a junkie. I've stocked up on global studies books, started a Human Rights Awareness Bulletin at my school, and I thought that starting a human rights blog could be a fantastic way to become more informed as to what's going on in the world today.

My blog is open to EVERYONE and will basically include questions regarding human rights ambiguities, links to relevant articles, my perspective on current human rights violations/victories, and my experiences within my school and community regarding advocacy.

So, if you wish, delve into the exploration of human rights across the globe with me and feel free to share your opinions/suggestions! I won't lie: much of what I say won't be pretty. Human rights issues are often tragic and infuriating. However, by becoming aware, we CAN stop these horrific violations. So buckle up and get ready to stand up and speak out for voiceless citizens of the world!