A woman in Philadelphia attends
one of dozens of demonstrations
across the country after yet another White police officer
– this one
in New York, was acquitted for the death of a Black
man named Eric
Gardner – this time on video.
Racial Unrest a Stain on a Hypocritical America (Xinhua, China)
Is the United
States a 'do as I say, not what I do' kind of country? In this column from the
state-run Xinhua News Agency, columnist Li Li seizes
the moment to remind U.S. officials that before it criticizes China for human
rights abuses, it should first look in the mirror and deal with its own
shortcomings.
BEIJING: When it comes to human rights issues, there are few
other countries in the world as self-righteous and complacent as the United
States. In that context, the Ferguson tragedy is a slap in the face.
After a grand jury decision not to indict White policeman
Darren Wilson for shooting dead African-American teenager Michael Brown in
Ferguson, Missouri, protests and demonstrations have flared and expanded to
scores of cities across the United States.
In a speech after the ruling, Barack Obama, the
country's first African-American president, called for respect for "the
rule of law."
The tragic incident and the subsequent ruling are being characterized
as miscarriages of justice and a violations of human rights.
The very fact that an incident in a small town three months
ago has triggered such widespread public indignation against the country's law
enforcement system strongly demonstrates deeply-rooted maladies in the United States
- a self-styled human rights defender and judge. Historically, racial tensions
cut deep in the United States, a country that always points its fingers at
others on the issue.
Posted by Worldmeets.US
Even after civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. delivered
his landmark speech "I Have a Dream" speech a half a century ago voicing
his aspiration for equal rights of Black people in the country, racism remains
a chronic American disease.
In the worst violence to strike the country in recent times,
the acquittal of four White policemen for beating a Black motorist in 1992 [Rodney
King] sparked a
six-day riot involving thousands of people across the Los Angeles metropolitan
area leaving as many as 51 people dead.
Today it is clear that the scar is far from fully healed. A
recent survey showed that some 51 percent of Americans do not believe that law
enforcement should treat African-Americans equally to White people.
Some argue that conflict over racial differences are
unavoidable in a "melting pot" like the United States, where people
come from virtually every corner of the world.
It is undeniable, however, that racial discrimination
against African Americans or other ethnic minorities, though not as obvious as
in the past, persists in every aspect of the social life of the country,
including employment, housing, education, and particularly justice.
The death of Michael Brown should serve as a stark reminder to
Uncle Sam that human rights violations in its own soil are legion and that before
criticizing other countries it should first fix its own problems.
All countries, including the United States, would be well
advised to enhance communication and cooperation on human rights issues and
learn the experiences of other states to make improvements rather than point
fingers at others.
