Racism and Xenophobia
In addition, in November, the UN Special Rapporteur on racism and xenophobia, Ashwini K.P, warned, after a fact-finding visit, that the United States “is at a critical point in the fight against racism and discrimination,” stating that she found manifestations of systemic racism in all the states she visited and that “these manifestations of racism impact people belonging to marginalized racial groups at all stages of their lives, historically, systematically, and institutionally.”
The most recent annual report from Amnesty International on the United States details the current deficiencies in human rights in the country, highlighting the negation of women’s rights, hate crimes, violations of migrants’ rights, the right to assembly, arbitrary detentions, torture, extrajudicial executions, and violations of the right to life, especially due to gun violence.
In the US, blacks are 20 times more likely to die from gun violence than whites
Obviously, none of this was acknowledged in Washington’s official statements on Human Rights Day. “We live according to the principle that every person is born free and equal with inherent human rights. This principle…was crystallized 75 years ago by the UN General Assembly,” declared the State Department on Sunday, adding that in the face of abuse, atrocities, genocide, and violations of freedoms, “we must press for greater protections for human rights and promote accountability where we see violations or abuses of human rights and fundamental freedoms.”
Apparently, the summit’s reflection is still lost.
Those who seek to put into practice the sayings of the famous Universal Declaration of Human Rights, whose 75th anniversary was celebrated on Sunday, are those who continue to fight for the democratization – and for the promised rights and freedoms – of this country. Everything else is just pretty (and complicated) words.
Musical Bonus
David Brooks | La Jornada, special for Diálogos do Sul – All rights reserved.
Translation: Beatriz Cannabrava
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