Human Rights at Stake in USA

By: KAMRAN KHAMISO KHOWAJA

Article: Human Rights at Stake in USA . The United States’ human rights situation has plummeted into chaos, with the country’s divisions reaching a critical juncture. A staggering 76% of Americans believe their nation is headed in the wrong direction, as a powerful minority exercises control, leaving the majority disenfranchised and excluded.

Political paralysis, governmental ineptitude, and a lack of accountability have created a perfect storm, enabling the erosion of fundamental rights and freedoms. The longstanding impasse on gun control has led to a devastating surge in mass shootings, resulting in a staggering 43,000 lives lost to gun violence in 2023 – a daily average of 117 deaths.

Law enforcement brutality persists, with at least 1,247 fatalities attributed to police violence, marking a grim milestone since 2013. Yet, the accountability mechanism remains woefully inadequate. The United States, with less than 5% of the global population, accounts for a staggering 25% of the world’s prison population, earning the dubious distinction of a “carceral state.”

Systemic racism has become a pervasive monster, perpetuating discrimination in law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and healthcare. The maternal mortality rate for African American women is a staggering three times that of their white counterparts. Asians face discrimination, with the “China Initiative” having far-reaching consequences.

Racist ideologies proliferate, spilling across borders, making the United States a major exporter of extreme racism. Wealth inequality has intensified, with the “working poor” phenomenon worsening. Long-standing income disparities have resulted in the most severe wealth gap since the Great Depression. Low-income families struggle to afford basic necessities, leading to a 16-year high in homelessness.

Women and children’s rights remain systematically violated, with constitutional provisions for gender equality conspicuous by their absence. The United States stands alone in not ratifying the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women and the Convention on the Rights of the Child.

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Immigration policies have become a political tool, with politicians disregarding individual rights and welfare. The country’s hegemonic pursuit, power politics, and abuse of force have led to regional tensions, armed conflicts, and humanitarian crises. Guantanamo Bay prison remains a blight on the nation’s conscience.

In conclusion, the United States’ human rights situation is a dire landscape of marginalization, discrimination, and inequality, woven from the very fabric of political polarization and hypocrisy.

Human Rights at Stake in USA