Dear Editor;
Most people do not realize that they have many rights by simply being human beings. These are rights and not privileges. The rights are enumerated in the U.N. Universal Declaration of Human Rights which was signed onto by most of the nations in the world on Dec. 10, 1948. The Declaration states that everyone in the world has the right to food, clothing, shelter, education, health and many other basic needs. It states that everyone has the right to life and not to be subjected to cruel, inhuman or unusual treatment or torture. It states that everyone has the right to live where s/he wills. None of these rights depends on how much money one has or what color, religion or ethnic background to which one belongs.
Most nations who signed the Declaration violate some or all of these human rights. That is why Amnesty International is a very important organization. It calls nations to task when they violate human rights. A person in the government of a nation that violates human rights is liable to receive thousands of letters a day from members of Amnesty International all over the world asking him or her to stop violating human rights. No government likes to think that others see it as a violator of human rights, so many times the letters will bring an end to the human rights violation. The pen is mightier than the sword. It is a nonviolent way in which people can protect human rights. Everyone who can write can help make the world a more civilized and nonviolent place in which to live.
We have a right and obligation to do so.
Don Timmerman
Amnesty International