Reaffirming Our Commitment to the Human Rights Declaration

By Michael S. Greco, President
American Bar Association

"Recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world." The foregoing words are part of the preamble of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations on Dec. 10, 1948. The recognition of human rights is as urgent today as it was 57 years ago in the aftermath of World War II. 

The United States, from both a moral and pragmatic perspective, must demonstrate its commitment to rule of law and human rights.  The security of the United States depends directly on adherence to our values of life, liberty and freedom. 

We Americans have long prided ourselves in leading by example when it comes to the fundamentals of freedom, justice and peace.  Our Declaration of Independence and Bill of Rights have been studied and used as guidelines by people the world over.  

These ideals at our nation’s heart have not made us perfect.  We have a blemished history on human rights -- from our treatment of Native Americans who inhabited this land for centuries, to our embrace of slavery and its residual disenfranchisement that still affects us today.

But our commitment to human rights has been a beacon whenever we have lost our way. As just one of many examples, a century after we outlawed slavery, our consciences moved us as a nation to reexamine, and end, the national shame of segregation.

Today, America faces another stain on its human rights record that we must face forthrightly.  The images of prisoner abuse at Abu Ghraib continue to shock our conscience today, more than two years after the allegations of detainee abuse came to light.  The stories of torture at Guantanamo Bay, and more recently the reports of secret CIA prisons -- these are our most recent stains.  The ABA believes that the administration should establish an independent, bipartisan commission, set up much like the 9/11 Commission, to examine these issues in a thoughtful, non-political manner.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, written as the world reawakened from a decade of fear and darkness, declared that “disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind.”  The declaration reminds us that, even in troubled times, respect for human rights is the highest aspiration of all people.

Sept. 11, 2001, changed us.  It made time spent with our families all the more special.  It made us pause to appreciate what makes our nation great.  Make no mistake -- the battle between America and terrorists is not a battle between two morally neutral combatants.  Let there never be any ambiguity about that. 

But while the tragic loss of American life caused great anger in many of us, we must not let our passions numb our values.  When reports of shameful torture, secret prisons and restrictions on due process are allowed to stand without action by our government against them, we begin to lose our moral high ground.  What we stand for as a nation begins to crumble.  On Saturday, let us reflect on the values of the Declaration of Human Rights.  And then let us pledge to honor those irrefutably fundamental principles that must be our guide.