Thursday, May 15, 2008

Bloggers Unite for Human Rights

Okay, I hate the term "human rights" because it can stand for so many random things. (Nor do I generally take Amnesty International very seriously.)


But in this case I signed up as one of the many bloggers uniting to bring voice to the voiceless. It ticks me off to know that Google & Yahoo work with the Chinese government to censor the internet and imprison people. I can't stand the fact that the Burmese (Myanmar, whatever) Junta is taking aid to help the military and not the people. I cannot fathom not being able to speak my mind - as a woman and as a person - if I lived in such an oppressive place as Iran.

I do not agree with the statement on Bloggers United about Guantanamo Bay though. That particular issue is not about 'human rights' it's about a nation being able to protect itself and imprison terrorists (so defined even by the Geneva convention...they are non-uniformed combatants). I do NOT agree that any of the detentions are "illegal" as claimed by AI.

But the crisis in Darfur is absolutely a true crisis of human rights. As well as the horrid situation in Zimbabwe.

The right to life. To liberty. Those are human rights. No government should infringe upon them.

4 comments:

Elaine Vigneault said...

Did you know children are in Gitmo? Children.

CastoCreations said...

Define "children". Are they 15, 16 years old? Because in most of the countries where they are found FIGHTING they are adults. I highly doubt there are any 6 year olds down there.

Lisa McGlaun said...

I would say that our detention without of people without the right of Habeus Corpus and no hope of a fair trail, if ever a trail at all, constitutes a violation of human rights.

Please read the 2006 Military commissions act and the rights it takes away from all of us before you decide that Gitmo is not an black spot on the integrity of the US.

Respectfully,
Lisa

CastoCreations said...

I don't think that terrorists captured in civilian clothing (sometimes hiding behind human shields) count too much in terms of their "rights" ... not only that, most of them are GAINING weight there. They are treated better there than in their home countries.

They get lawyers, food, shelter, clothing, and even korans. I don't feel one ounce of pity for any of the slime detained there.

I do feel pity and extreme sadness for the people who deserve it...like those being persecuted in Darfur and Burma.