Gaining a fuller understanding of why many nations have abolished the death penalty, makes it easier to understand how the United States’ commitment to the death penalty has such strong implications on the international stage. To put it simply, the United States’ use of the death penalty hurts its diplomatic relations and reflects poorly on the nation’s values.Ĭapital punishment’s role in United States foreign affairs is severely affecting its image on the world stage, given that much of the world is opposed to the death penalty. Nations that have abolished the death penalty see this as a sign of ignoring basic human rights and group the United States’ human rights index with that of nations like Sudan and Iraq. It is one of the only nations to still do so. Despite the constant backlash throughout recent history, the United States continually uses the death penalty and defends it on the international stage. International non-governmental organizations (NGOs) like the United Nations have called upon their member States to abolish the use of the death penalty, stating it violates the “ right to life, liberty, and security of person” guaranteed by Article 3 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It’s surprising how a country like this can become associated with authoritarian regimes with horrible human rights records such as China or Iran, yet its continued use of the death penalty demonstrates how its so-called commitment to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness might not even include the right to life after all. It prides itself on being a paradigm of human rights and individual freedom, founded on the principles of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Of happiness in the twenty-first century.“Land of the free and home of the brave.” That’s how the United States describes itself. These questions, and more, will be explored as we consider life, liberty and the pursuit The world? Is access to healthcare an unalienable right? Practices democracy the best way, or can we learn lessons from other democracies around The United States seek to export democracy to foreign nations? Is the way America Influence our understanding of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness? Should Liberty, and of other rights we enjoy? What are the causes of political and socialĪpathy? How have partisan politics impacted the conduct of our government? To whatĮxtent does government promote, or impede, economic equality? How does technology Majority rule with individual rights? What are the limits of free speech, of religious What are the costs and benefits of the freedom our democracy affords? How do we balance Or are they best understood as positive rights, as bestowed upon us by government? Ever changing demographics,Ĭultural mores, values, technologies, and understanding raise important questionsįor our nation… Are our rights endowments from the Creator, as the founders believed? The founding fathers crafted plans for the foundling republic. Missouri State University’s public affairs theme for the 2016-17 academic year, Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness: Perspectives on Self-Government, is rich with opportunities to engage the campus community in discussions exploringīoth our rights and our responsibilities as citizens in a modern democracy.Īmerican society in the twenty-first century has little in common with the era when Of Americans, its meaning today is contested. The meaning of this self-evident truth may have been well understood by earlier generations These words from the Declaration of Independence are familiar and oft quoted. Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that theyĪre endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |