Editor:
Canadian … John Peters Humphrey … was principal drafter of UN’s Universal Declaration of Human Rights adopted in 1948. Universal recognition that basic rights and fundamental freedoms inherent to all human beings … are inalienable … equally applicable to everyone.
Affirming faith in fundamental human rights … dignity and worth … of each human person … Canada recognized this faith.
A consequence of 75 million human beings slaughtered during the Second World War … too many Canadians were among them … considering “our” scientific, technical, and industrialized war to compete for global “economic(?)” resources.
Mostly civilians suffered atrocities … immeasurable pain and grief. A single innocent victim labelled “collateral” damage isn’t acceptable to this human rights declaration.
International … legal … binding … it is moral.
It is against any “new” form of old tyranny … in interpersonal relationships … even in a democracy which has greater conceptions of “authoritarian” rulers … even during their term “in office.”
UN sees Canada … among the top five global economies … unconcerned about Canada’s growing income inequality, exporting asbestos, weak control over Canadian corporations violating human rights … slow action(?) on climate change.
“We” actively “resist” mitigation of climate change.
Tarsands and pipeline development are top of “our” agenda in “our” budget bill removing environmental laws in the way of tarsand development … the pipelines “we” require to transport “our” bitumen.
“We” cancel 3,000 environmental assessments … 250 reviews of pipeline projects. “We” limit public consultations … weaken protections of endangered species … fish habitat. “We” want “meaningful” aboriginal rights “consultations?”
UVic’s Andrew Weaver is concerned about long-term (10,000-plus years?) climate change: projections, commitments … irreversibility.
UN sees Canada’s children’s rights ignored. “We” protect children from tyranny. “We” won’t ignore their rights. “We” protect their futures.
Even combatants of appalling industrialized slaughter in the First World War … thought it immoral to slaughter non-combatant defenseless children/civilians.
What are “our” Canadian individual collective obligations … to 7, 8, 9 billion global children/citizens … John Peters Humphrey?
Herb Nakada
Williams Lake