Human Rights Laws
I have a friend who works on international human rights laws. She always talks about how complicated human rights issues are. We always think of it as simple because we live in a relatively free society, but things are not the same everywhere. Even as close as Guantnamo Bay, human rights law doesn't always hold. Because it is outside of the United States, our government acts as if American laws and treaties do not apply.
Basically, this is how international law usually works. A nation can say that they respect human rights laws, and even sign treaties and say they will preserve human decency, And turn around and do something else. There is simply no way to enforce the rules. It is a matter of good faith. Either they do what they say or they don't.
This is a big part of treason why there are so many human rights abuses in the world today. It is a real shame, but things are as bad as they ever were. There is less slavery, but there is every bit as much brutality and murder, if not more. The more human rights research I do, the more I want to change things. It is hard to sit by and watch so much evil take place in the world.
One of the interesting things about human rights laws is that they really can be affected by things like letter writing campaigns. You hear time and time again of governments which begin to treat prisoners with respect once they are in the international spotlight. I think that deep down inside people are usually ashamed of themselves when they abuse human rights. Being watched by the rest of the world makes them reconsider what their actions are. It may not change things all at once, but little by little it can make a difference.
Still, writing a letter on your own is not enough. If you really want to protect human rights laws and strengthen protection, you need to join a human rights organization. There are many good human rights organizations. One of the most famous of them as Amnesty International. As its name implies, Amnesty operates all over the world. They are one of the most global and truly objective human rights groups out there. They make thousands and thousands of pages of reports available about the records of various countries every year. By working with them, it is possible to make a difference.
