Human Rights Record of United States in 2007

[Omaha Steve]

http://mwcnews.net/content/view/21087/1/

By James Secor

The State Department of the United States released its Country Reports on Human Rights Practices for 2007 on March 11, 2008. As in previous years, the reports are full of accusations of the human rights situation in more than 190 countries and regions including China but mention nothing of the widespread human rights abuses on its own territory. The Human Rights Record of the United States in 2007 is prepared to help people around the world understand the real situation of human rights in the United States and as a reminder for the United States to reflect upon its own issues.

I. On Life, Property and Personal Security

The increase of violent crimes in the United States poses a serious threat to its people's lives, liberty and personal security.

According to a FBI report on crime statistics released in September 2007, 1.41 million violent crimes were reported nationwide in 2006. . . . (FBI Release its 2006 Crime Statistics, FBI, www.fbi.gov/pressre1/pressre107/cius092407.htm). Throughout 2006, U.S. residents age 12 or above experienced an estimated 25 million crimes of violence and theft. . . . (Criminal Victimization 2006, U.S. Department of Justice, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs). In the United States, one violent crime was committed in every 22.2 seconds, one murder committed in every 30.9 minutes, one rape in every 5.7 minutes, one robbery in every 1.2 minutes and one aggravated assault in every 36.6 seconds (FBI Release its 2006 Crime Statistics, FBI, www.fbi.gov/pressre1/pressre107/cius092407.htm).

A survey by the Police Executive Research Forum in 163 U.S. cities shows that 65%of them reported increases or no changes in homicides during the first half of 2007, 41.9% of cities reported increases or no changes in aggravated assaults, 55.6% reported increases or no changes in robberies ("Survey Shows Shift in Violence," USA Today, October 12, 2007). . . .

The United States has the largest number of privately-owned guns in the world. Frequent gun violence poses a serious threat to people’s life and property security. There are an estimated 250 million privately-owned firearms in the United States. . . .

In the United States, about 30,000 people die from gun wounds every year ("Update 2-Senate Passes Gun Bill in Response to Rampage," Reuters, December 19, 2007). The USA Today reported on December 5, 2007 that gun killings have climbed 13% overall since 2002. An estimated 25% of all violent crime incidents were committed by an armed offender. . . . (Criminal Victimization 2006, U.S. Department of Justice, www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs). . . .

II. On Human Rights Violations by Law Enforcement and Judicial Departments

The abuse of power by law enforcement and judicial departments in the United States has seriously violated the freedom and rights of its citizens.


FULL story at link.

[benEzra]

1. Interesting choice of dates...

The United States has the largest number of privately-owned guns in the world. Frequent gun violence poses a serious threat to people’s life and property security. There are an estimated 250 million privately-owned firearms in the United States. . . .

In the United States, about 30,000 people die from gun wounds every year ("Update 2-Senate Passes Gun Bill in Response to Rampage," Reuters, December 19, 2007). The USA Today reported on December 5, 2007 that gun killings have climbed 13% overall since 2002.

Interesting choice of dates. Looks like they're trying to steer you toward a certain spin. See what's special about 2002 in the following charts?





They also don't mention that most of those 30,000 who "die of gun wounds" are suicides, and that the United States has one of the lowest suicide rates in the industrialized world (lower than such gun-banning utopias as the UK and Japan, as well as Canada).

FWIW, I know the MSM really doesn't like it, but a lot of us Dems and indies own guns, and we're keeping them, thanks.




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The Conservative Roots of U.S. Gun Control

Dems and the Gun Issue - Now What? (written in '04, largely vindicated in '06, IMO)