kicking puppies is bad

While my journal generally contains superfluous fluffy posts, today happens to be “International Day of the Disappeared”. This seems to have been overlooked by the mainstream media. And I feel somewhat obligated to include a slightly less fluffy entry relating to IDD. According to Wiki, IDD is, an annual commemoration day created to draw attention to the fate of individuals imprisoned at places and under poor conditions unknown to their relatives and/or legal representatives.

I remember a time when I was proud of the human rights record of the United States. This may have been because I was seven, and the only thing I knew about international politics came from the Weekly Reader in my second grade social studies class. But it was also because the United States (at that point) had a pretty decent Human Rights record. Unfortunately, recent Human Rights violations committed by the United States are seriously making me consider changing my citizenship. I am growing more and more ashamed of being an American.

Slightly over a year ago, the United Nations Committee Against Torture released a report titled Conclusions and recommendations of the Committee against Torture: United States of America. 25/07/2006. Under Section C (Subjects of concern and recommendations) the following statements were made:

The Committee reiterates its previous recommendation that the State party should
enact a federal crime of torture consistent with article 1 of the Convention, which should include appropriate penalties, in order to fulfil its obligations under the Convention to prevent and eliminate acts of torture causing severe pain or suffering, whether physical or mental, in all its forms.The State party should recognize and ensure that the Convention applies at all times, whether in peace, war or armed conflict, in any territory under its jurisdiction

These recommendations reflect the fact that we, as a nation, are “obligated to implement the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (“the Convention”) in full at the domestic level”. But we haven’t. And our current behaviors reflect our lack of conformation.

The Committee notes with concern that the State party does not always register persons detained in territories under its jurisdiction outside the United States, depriving them of an effective safeguard against acts of torture…The Committee is concerned by allegations that the State party has established secret detention facilities, which are not accessible to the International Committee of the Red Cross. Detainees are allegedly deprived of fundamental legal safeguards, including an oversight mechanism in regard to their treatment and review procedures with respect to their detention.

The Committee is also concerned by allegations that those detained in such facilities could be held for prolonged periods and face torture or cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. The Committee considers the “no comment” policy of the State party regarding the existence of such secret detention facilities, as well as on its intelligence activities, to be regrettable.

While some of these statements refer to “allegations”, others (like the failure to register detainees under our jurisdiction but outside of the United States) are *not* merely allegations. They are significant human rights violations. And I’m not quoting one of my usual “liberal, NPR, bat-shit-crazy conspiracy theorist” sources. This the the United Nations. The United Nations! You don’t get a much more valid source than that. I think I may spend the rest of my day curled up in a fetal position pretending I live in Discworld (or really any place but the United States of America) and eating more gummi bears. Sigh. This makes three “gummi bear” days this week. It could be a new record.