People kill people. Even really important people.

Or, so I thought. These people shouldn't be important anymore.

Torture might be the the scariest topic I will blog about. Even the word "torture" just sounds like it hurts. Torture isn't just a word, though. It's an action and it's happening closer to home than you think.

How close? Former President of the United States George W. Bush-close.

According to Human Rights Watch, the former president made televised statements ordering the torture and punishment of two CIA detainees Abu Zubaydah and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri.

The punishment was a technique called waterboarding. To execute this, the victim's head is immobilized and inclined backwards. Water is then poured over the victim's face in order for the person to experience feelings of drowning.

Shudders are running down my spine.

Want to hear some irony? The JUSTICE DEPARTMENT of the United States authorized the TORTURE of these CIA detainees, saying that "waterboarding and other abusive interrogation methods were not illegal." I just used "justice" and "torture" in the same sentence. I've never done that before and I hope to never do it again (unless I'm speaking against torture in a fight for justice).

The former president's statements are documented on video tape along with the actual interrogation itself, but they're destroyed. Jose A. Rodriguez, former head of the CIA's clandestine service back in 2005, ordered for them to be destroyed and takes full responsibility for his actions.

John Durham, US attorney, is currently in charge of investigating the improper interrogation of detainees. He know's what's up, but he's not pressing any charges because the tapes are destroyed.

I almost wish he thought of a better excuse because, for the caliber of this subject, this one's weak, Durham. It ain't gonna cut it.

Why are they so confident in their decisions to allow the torture of people? They think they are right in every way and should not have to suffer any consequences because of their behavior. ARE THERE SOULS IN THEIR BODIES? They're really going to let laws made by some dude tell them it's okay to torture and kill someone?

"To say that Justice Department lawyers gave their okay to clearly illegal methods of torture and ill-treatment is a lame excuse," Mariner said. "It simply shows that the lawyers themselves were derelict in their duty to uphold the law."

Agreed, Mariner.

Can you, the reader of my blog, feel my pulse speeding up with every word I type?!

"It is beyond shocking that a former US president can publicly claim responsibility for torture and the next day the US government can say it will not pursue charges for destroying evidence of that torture," said Joanne Mariner, Terrorism and Counterterrorism Program director at Human Rights Watch. "It sends the ugly message that there are no legal consequences in the United States for committing the most heinous of international crimes."

I am beyond shocked. This is happening at the hands of someone who used to run the country that I live in. Would he have gone to those great lengths to punish someone in our country?

I'll ask this question again: are we just plain lucky to be born in the USA?

To read more on the story, visit humanrightswatch.org.

People with disabilities don't belong in the USA...

... Apparently.

Confused? So am I.

In July, "Deportation by Default", a 98-page report posted on the Human Rights Watch website, was written saying that "immigrants with mental disabilities are often unjustifiably detained for years on end, sometimes with no legal limits." Basically, since they weren't able to think for themselves, they were just sent back out of the United States or held in indefinite detention as a result of an unfair trial.

www.hrw.org

The report presents the methods in which immigrants are screened and put to trial in the courtroom. It continues with explaining the violation of human justification and then offers suggestions on how to handle it in a morally just way (e.g. making sure they know the immigrant has a mental disability before proceeding with the trail).

Often, immigrants are denied access to a lawyer and there is an absence of legal standards in immigration court. From what the report entails, there's not a lot to look forward to if you're an immigrant found inside of immigration court.

People with disabilities were interviewed for this report. Some didn't know their own names, didn't know how to tell time, were delusional and had no idea what being deported from the United States meant.

Ever got in trouble and had no idea why? I know we've all been there. It's an awful feeling and we sometimes spend way too much time wondering what we did. We can do that. We, meaning those without mental disabilities, are able to wonder why. We're able to somewhat control what goes through our minds. For example, we learn things. We hear things by listening to people and comprehending what they say. We're able to apply it to life, so we can talk about it later. We have the mental capacity to do that.

For those who can't, or aren't able to understand as quickly as we can, should we just leave them behind? Simply because they can't think for themselves? Because they can't help themselves, are we not going to even try and help them? And what about the people with mental disabilities that are already in the US? That were fortunate enough to be born here? Were they just lucky?

Many more human rights issues occur abroad. Other countries have a different way of governing their people, laying down their laws, and running a country.

There's an entire world besides the United States out there, but sometimes, we just seem to treat them like they're an entirely different species from our own. But they're not. We're all humans. We're born with the same rights, we just happen to be born in different places.

What would your life be like if you were born somewhere other than the United States?

The God-given human right to drink... Water.

Everyday I tote a reusable water bottle to school, so that I can refill it at any water fountain and avoid the cost of paying for a bottle of water. I often find myself saying, "Why pay for water? It's free." You need water to live, so it should be free, right?

atlanticbluewaterservices.com

In the United Nations, the answer to that is no. Instead of water being a fundamental right to life, it is an economic commodity. Why? Because it's a scarce resource that has "economic value in all its competing uses," says The Dublin Statement on Water and Sustainable Development arguing for water as a commodity.

But, countries are fighting for safe water everyday. Does the fight need to be even more difficult? Is it bad to want a refreshing bath or a sip to wet our whistles? We only get one body and one life, so we might as well take care of them. It's as simple as having a wet cloth and a cup of water.

Of course, something as simple as a human right is not always that simple. The UN doesn't see the right to water as a human right... even though, as humans, we need water. Hmmm, interesting.

As for our free country,“[t]he United States does not oppose any government adopting a national right to water or sanitation as part of its own domestic policy. We do, however, have concerns with a statement that would require all countries to adopt a national right to water or sanitation or would establish an international right to water or sanitation," said Andy Laine, State Department spokesman at the 2009 World Water Forum.

I still don't understand how the universal human rights we were all given at birth aren't universal anymore especially when it comes to sustaining life. What changed?

Worldwide organizations like UNICEF and The Water Project work to provide countries with safe water. Luckily, there's a force fighting for our rights.

omiusajpic.org

A lady deserves to be treated like a lady

Men have heard the phrase, women live by the phrase, and I believe every part of it to be true.

Unfortunately, there are some people roaming around this world who don't share the same sentiment. As awful as it is to hear about it, sexual assault happens, abusive relationships exist, and human trafficking is still an ongoing problem. It can happen inside homes and college campuses. It can happen to your mother, your sister or your best friend.




It's not always obvious or easy to spot. It even happens to the "IT" couple that seems to be in lover's paradise. We saw it happen between Chris Brown and Rihanna, the celebrity couple that seemed to be in a very happy relationship...



...Until it was very publicly announced that Brown committed an act of domestic violence against Rihanna in 2009.



Heartbreaking, isn't it? Chris Brown was such a cutie and he's really talented. It's a shame to see what people can do.

Violence against women occurs everyday at the hands of someone else.

I honestly feel like there is no way to ever understand why actions like these even exist; however, they do. I hope you want this violence to stop just as much as I do, so I decided to bring this subject to light because a few weeks ago, I was given an assignment to write a news release concerning sex crimes on college campuses. After doing a little more research, I found things that I always knew before, but never realized how serious these facts needed to be taken.

For instance, in the case of sexual assault, many victims blame themselves for what happened causing them not to report the crime. Some victims fail to truly understand the legal definition of rape and therefore fail to report the crime.

What we wish these victims knew, and what we want them to know, is that this is never their fault.

Unfortunately, authorities aren't able to handle the few reported crimes as well as they can because the number of reported crimes is, sadly, very low. The National Sexual Violence Resource Center reports that one in five women are victims of domestic violence, and only about 20 percent of these cases are reported. Authorities haven't had very many chances to improve their procedures.

So, as of Sept. 29, the government decided to take this matter a little more seriously. The United States Senate is amidst efforts to tackle violence against women according to the Human Rights Watch website.

The website also says that efforts will include "increased legal and judicial protections against violence against women, strengthened health services to respond to such violence, increased educational and economic opportunities for women, and changes to social norms that perpetuate violence against women."

This can help. If seriously enacted, this WILL help. This sort of behavior shouldn't be the result of a "social norm." And if it is, what kind of society are we to think that perpetuating this sort of violence is normal?

This could happen to anyone. It could be your mother, your sister, or your best friend. It can even happen to men. Although I am focusing on violence against women, it can happen to anyone, and no one deserves this kind of treatment. Period.

Serbia calls for tolerance and end to discrimination

Today, members of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community marched in Belgrade Pride 2010.

Proof that tolerance is far from being achieved, this march took place in central Belgrade one day after nationalist organizations called the government to ban Belgrade Pride 2010.

More than 1,000 people came together to be with friends, express solidarity and stand together against discrimination. Among them were activists from Amnesty International and other international organizations, European Union ambassadors, Serbian politicians and representatives from the Serbian civil society.

“The parade is great. So many people have come! And most importantly, government members have expressed their support for the event and they are here with us today," said Boban Stojanovic, one of the organizers of the event.

Police surrounded them as well suffering the wrath of extremists. Stones and explosives were hurled, injuring many police officers.

“The authorities are reaping the results of their policies,” said Majda Puaca, one of Serbia's LGBT activists, reminding us that although there were government members at the event, the LGBT community is still offered little support.

Judging from marches in the past, there might be hope for Serbia.

“In the beginning it was the same in the Baltic countries, too much violence and too many police to protect us. Gradually, both the police and society in general started to accept us and our demands as well. I am sure the same will happen in Serbia" said Linda Freimane, a member of the Latvian LGBT organization Mozaika and veteran of marches against discrimination.