Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a cross of iron.
- President, General, and all-around great American, Dwight D. Eisenhower

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Russian human rights still lacking protection

The basic right to life is no guarantee in Russia, especially to those men and women who are dedicating their lives to protecting those rights and prosecuting the offenders.



We can not tolerate abuse, no matter where in the world. Let these examples remind those of use with comfortable conditions and the privileges of good governance that we are never far off from despots and lacking even the most basic of rights. Never forget, never again.

Sunday, January 18, 2009

Wow this is the first I've heard of this

BBC once again runs an excellent piece highlighting global abuses of human rights:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7834075.stm

Bounding refugees by the hands, and then setting them adrift? That is absolutely incredible, but all the more horrific since these people are political and religious refugees from a terribly repressive government.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Obama pushed on human rights by HRW

It's wonderful that our President-elect is an educated scholar, may we only hope he follows what he preaches:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7828908.stm

Monday, January 12, 2009

Israel

While Colombia and Latin America may be more my area of expertise, it doesn't take an expert to see that Israel's treatment, as highlighted by its most recent aggressions against the people of Gaza, fall nothing short of abuse on so many levels. Of course the United States, with its reverence of the state of Israel and the religious nature of that support, will never stand up to the atrocities.

The Point

is simple: never accept human rights abuses. When they said "Never again," they had seen why. Why is it that mankind must relearn this lesson without ever acting upon it?

Never, no matter the importance of the perpetrator, accept acts of abuse.