Human Rights Day



Today is Human Rights Day and the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

The Declaration, adopted by the United Nations in 1948, set out a list of 30 Articles describing fundamendal human rights and freedoms for everyone.

The goals are noble, but reading the text, I have a distinct feeling that it was written by a committee which never used just one word where several would suffice:

Article 1
All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood.

Article 2
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status.

Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.

Link | The Universal Declaration of Human Rights itself - Thanks Cori!


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Posted on December 10, 2007 at 2:54 pm by Alex
Category: Politics

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14 comments to "Human Rights Day"

  • Steohawk
    December 10th, 2007 at 6:48 pm

    This is great, but it’s too bad that so many governments ignore it. Of course, we agorists (and all natural law libertarians) believe in just one human right from which all others are derived: the natural right to self-ownership.

  • Pudifoot
    December 10th, 2007 at 7:20 pm

    Pretend-like-you-are-a-time-traveler-day is more fun.

  • John J.
    December 10th, 2007 at 7:27 pm

    Unfortunately this was enacted and signed by politicians, which means it’s not much more than printed words. It’s the responsibility of every individual to make sure they are enforced.

  • Jerse
    December 10th, 2007 at 7:35 pm

    Is it just me or does no one care about all of these “days” on Neatorama?

    I don’t think it’s that neat…

  • Pudifoot
    December 10th, 2007 at 8:40 pm

    Jerse: it is just you.

  • Jerse
    December 10th, 2007 at 8:49 pm

    Pudifoot: Convince me otherwise. What is neat about this?

  • Pudifoot
    December 10th, 2007 at 10:01 pm

    jerse: ok, you are right about the human right day… but the “pretend you are a time traveler” day is kinda neat. at least it was worth a polite chuckle.

  • Ben Rushing
    December 10th, 2007 at 10:39 pm

    Let’s not overlook Article 29(3) of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights:

    “These rights and freedoms may in no case be exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations.”

    Why celebrate the United Nations Universal Declaration, that fails to ensure freedom? When we could just look at the United States Constitution which has no clause that allows the government to violate it? To me the Bill of Rights is more precious than anything that the United Nations could ever do for me.

  • Barbara
    December 10th, 2007 at 11:31 pm

    Jerse–Isn’t it a good idea for us all to be reminded of how things should be and what we should be working toward? Human Rights Day seems to me to represent a very important concept, now widely ignored, even by the president of the country that based its founding on the equality of rights of men.

  • Jerse
    December 11th, 2007 at 8:31 am

    @Pudifoot: I agree time traveler day was somewhat neat, but this post - it’s just a day. We have 365.25 of them a year and they are all probably claimed by some “cause”. It’s not neat - it’s cliche and boring.

    @Barbara: I know, I know - it’s for a good cause and all - but it’s not really Neatorama material. You know what I’m sayin?

  • Sid Morrison
    December 11th, 2007 at 8:37 am

    Blah, blah, blah… More United Nations one world order pablum & drivel. Abolish the U.N. or at least send it to Brussels or Geneva and free up a lot of parking spaces in NYC.

  • Carruthers
    December 11th, 2007 at 1:40 pm

    Agreed Sid!

    P. J. O’Rourke’s version of “rights” are far better:
    “There is only one basic human right, the right to do as you damn well please. And with it comes the only basic human duty, the duty to take the consequences.”

  • Carruthers
    December 11th, 2007 at 1:43 pm

    More wisdom here than ever came out of the murdering, venal, corrupt UN:
    http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/p_j_orourke.html

  • Chris
    December 11th, 2007 at 3:19 pm

    Send the UN to France. To celebrate this day they’re welcoming Kadhafi there ;)

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