U.N. ‘Watchdog’ Seizes on Ferguson Shooting to Slam the U.S. for Racial Discrimination

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="entry-thumb" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 20px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /> <figure style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;"><img alt="UN+headquarters_Amal+Chen-20120410" class="attachment-blog-thumbs wp-post-image" src="http://static.ijreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/UN+headquarters_Amal+Chen-20120410.jpg?de9c64" style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; height: auto; margin-bottom: 0px !important; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; max-width: 100%; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: middle; width: 609px;" /></span></span></figure></div> <div id="mobileSharePost-container" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div class="entry-content" style="-webkit-text-stroke-color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0); -webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination completed a report which “reviewed” the U.S. for evidence of racial bias and it released a statement today.</span></span></div> <div id="middle_content" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> </div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Salon <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/08/29/a_un_watchdog_released_a_report_on_racism_the_u_s_and_we_are_not_doing_well/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">reported</a> on the U.N.’s condemnation and that “we are not doing so well.” (Apparently, when the U.N.’s bureaucrats of unimpeachable integrity speak out, Americans should be kept up late at night worrying about it.)</span></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Here is the list that looks more in line with advancing a political agenda than a fact-based presentation. In addition, many of these items appear to call for more government control, which may not solve the problems:</span></span></div> <ol style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; counter-reset: li 0; list-style-image: initial; list-style-position: inside; margin: 0px 0px 0px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Lack of a national human rights institution</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Persistent racial profiling and illegal surveillance</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Prevalence and under-reporting of racist hate speech and hate crimes</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Disparate impact of environmental pollution in low income and minority communities</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Restrictive voter identification laws leading to unequal right to vote</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Criminalization of homelessness when homeless people are disproportionately minorities</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Discrimination and segregation in housing</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">De facto racial segregation in education</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Unequal right to health and access to health care</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">High number of gun-related deaths and “Stand Your Ground” laws, which disproportionately affect members of racial and ethnic minorities</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Excessive use of force by law enforcement officials</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Increasingly militarized approach to immigration law enforcement</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Violence against women occurs disproportionately more frequently for women from racial/ethnic minorities</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Criminal justice system disproportionately arrests, incarcerates and subjects to harsher sentences people from racial/ethnic minorities</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Youth from racial/ethnic minorities are disproportionately prosecuted as adults, incarcerated in adult prisons, and sentenced to life without parole</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Non-citizens are arbitrarily detained in Guantanamo Bay without equal access to the criminal justice system, while at risk of being subjected to torture</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Unequal access to legal aid</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Lacking rights of indigenous peoples (the report lists numerous different concerns)</span></span></li> <li style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; list-style: none; margin: 0px 0px 6px 2em; outline: 0px; padding: 6px 4px; position: relative; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: underline; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="color: black;">Absence of a National Action Plan to combat racial discrimination</span></span></li> </ol> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">In the U.N.’s <a href="http://www.salon.com/2014/08/29/a_un_watchdog_released_a_report_on_racism_the_u_s_and_we_are_not_doing_well/" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">19 points</a> of concern, the following points about the Ferguson shooting and riots were made:</span></span></div> <blockquote style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); background-image: none; border-left-color: rgb(78, 88, 96); border-left-style: solid; border-width: 0px 0px 0px 1px; box-sizing: border-box; display: inline-block; line-height: normal; margin: 20px 0px 30px 10px; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 20px; quotes: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"></span><br /> <div style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold !important; outline: 0px; padding: 0px !important; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;">The excessive use of force by law enforcement officials against racial and ethnic minorities is an ongoing issue of concern and particularly in light of the shooting of Michael Brown.</span></div> <span style="color: black;"> <div style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold !important; outline: 0px; padding: 0px !important; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"> <br /></div> <div style="-webkit-transition: all 0.2s ease; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-style: italic; font-weight: bold !important; outline: 0px; padding: 0px !important; transition: all 0.2s ease; vertical-align: baseline;"> This is not an isolated event and illustrates a bigger problem in the United States, such as racial bias among law enforcement officials, the lack of proper implementation of rules and regulations governing the use of force, and the inadequacy of training and law enforcement officials.</div> </span></blockquote> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">As this “review” of the U.S. by the U.N. was not requested by any Congressional or Executive group, it should be treated as unsolicited advice and given the type of attention such things deserve.</span></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">The “unsolicited advice” fails to note that there is an ongoing investigation into the matter and numerous conflicting reports about what actually happened at Ferguson. Before U.N. officials latch onto explosive news stories that are still developing (and there is no evidence of racial bias on the part of the shooting officer Darren Wilson), perhaps they might want to refrain from giving them international attention with their commentary.</span></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">Ironically, this particular committee itself has <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/world-24922058" rel="nofollow" style="-webkit-transition: color 0.2s ease-in; border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; transition: color 0.2s ease-in; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">drawn fire</a> from news agencies like the BBC for the way it was created. As an example, the committee’s vice chairman Noureddine Amir hails from Algeria, which is itself a human rights cesspool, especially when compared to the United States.</span></span></div> <div style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; outline: 0px; padding: 0px 0px 15px; vertical-align: baseline;"> <span style="color: black;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0); line-height: normal;">If you look at the <a href="http://www.ijreview.com/2014/08/170804-conservative-pundit-bill-whittle-defines-race-war-really-occurring-precisely-explains/" style="border: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold !important; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank">totality of the statistics</a> of racial violence in America and police shootings statistics, the U.N.’s claims come off as more in line with their political agenda than a sober and helpful analysis of the actual situation in the United States.</span></span></div> </div> </div>

U.N. ‘Watchdog’ Seizes on Ferguson Shooting to Slam the U.S. for Racial Discrimination

The U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination completed a report which “reviewed” the U.S. for evidence of racial b...

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