Civil rights perspectives
Human rights’ experts rate the USA among leading states in the promotion of civil liberties. The country constantly engages in policy amendments and activities that address human rights. The US Constitution recognizes amendments that uphold significant human liberties. This paper disagrees with the notion propounded by a non-American author. It evaluates various variables to demonstrate that the US is usually concerned with the civil rights of its people. The writer advances the controversial hypothesis that the US fails to safeguard the human rights of minority ethnic groups.
Historical perspectives
Many Africans were transported to the USA during the Second World War and used as fighters for the Americans. The Africans became citizens of the US. The slaves faced numerous challenges in the 18th Century that included racial prejudices. The US government formulated policies to eliminate racial discrimination in the 19th Century. For instance, in 1954, the Supreme Court of the US ruled that schools could not be segregated by color.
In 1962, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. compelled the US government to adopt regulations that would integrate equal rights for the African-Americans into the American society. The government reacted by appointing African-American students into the students’ forums. In 1965, the Congress led by President Johnson allowed prisoners to take part in political elections. The US administration incorporated the Voting Rights Act into law.
Economic issues
The United States also addresses the issue of minority groups. The groups comprise of African-Americans, Indians and people from the East. The government caters for the marginalized groups by providing them with job opportunities. The main aim of upholding the rights of marginalized communities includes provision of equal opportunities to them. President J.F. Kennedy adopted the Affirmative Action Law in 1961.
All employers in the US must comply with the statute. The legislation cautions all employers against discrimination of employees on the basis of race, color and origin. The policy requires equal treatment of employees at the workplace. Human rights organizations in the US consult with international human rights units like the United Nations Human Rights Committee (UNHCR) and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (ICERD) to ensure abolition of racial prejudices. In 1986, the US initiated the Comprehensive Anti-Apartheid Act, which outlawed racial intolerance of all forms. The statute focused on the elimination of apartheid in the US. Civil Rights Case Law Experts show that the judiciary in the US prosecutes human rights violators.
Legislative aspects
The US incorporates laws and regulations that uphold the rights and freedoms of all people. In recent times, the nation created a body called the Human Rights Advocates Program (HRAP). The unit promotes and protects human rights in the US. The organization formulates projects to help it in the administration of human freedoms and rights. For instance, the body has created a center that caters for violence against women.
The directorate of this office collects and processes data on cases involving oppression against women. The council takes action against perpetrators of abuses against women. The Advocate Committee of the authority collaborates with community associations and the Unites States Law Firm Group in order to safeguard the interests of victims of violence against women. The US government also safeguards children from harassment. The state employs a legal framework under UNICEF USA to protect children from harmful practices. The US caters for the plight of African-Americans. It also recognizes the importance of the American woman. In contemporary times, women can access job opportunities in the government. The percentage of women that work in the government is 20%.
The American Indian Movement (AIM) was established in 1968, in Minneapolis. The government introduced the forum in order to address the plight of Indian women. Presidents Kennedy and Johnson supported this initiative. AIM continues to cater for the needs of the Indians as a minority group in the US. In 2006, the US administration in collaboration with the American Indian Movement provided scholarship funds that would benefit minority groups. America also upholds the value of the American woman by observing the International Women’s Day. The American society celebrates the American woman for the whole month of March every year (Faragher et al. 18). The International Women’s Day reminds American women of their struggle to end inequality. The US state also engages in the protection of the girl child. The government utilizes the Protection and Justice Act to safeguard the rights of the girl child.
Economic policies
America also addresses the needs of poor people. Research demonstrates that the United States spends more than six million dollars to address poverty every year. The leadership of the US uses various welfare associations and reforms to tackle poverty in the society. The welfare units transform themselves in accordance with the changing needs of American citizens. For instance, the US authorities transformed the Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) to the Transitional Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) in order to cater for the specific needs of their citizens. The government offers financial incentives to low income earners to enable them to manage the high cost of living. The state utilizes the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act to address hunger issues among the poor.
President Obama is currently committed to improving and creating numerous job opportunities for the poor. The government also ensures the implementation of strategies that sustain investments for poor people. The leadership of the US integrates education standards that address the needs of the American society into the community. The country continues to introduce appropriate reforms in the education sector (Faragher et al. 25). The changes ensure that minority groups in the American society access quality education. Many schools in the US continue to undergo socio-economic stratifications. Members of high economic statuses tend to educate their children in expensive schools that offer a varied curriculum. People that earn low incomes may not afford to educate their children in competitive schools. The US government recognizes the fact that education may liberate people from ignorance and help them to access job opportunities.
Military actions
The US army invaded Iraq in order to save the citizens of that country from the oppressive rule of Saddam Hussein in 2006. The US has also used military action against the rule of Mullah Omar in Afghanistan in 2003.People in both countries enjoy human freedoms today. The US also engaged military intervention in Somalia in the 90’s to stop human rights violations of innocent civilians.
Conclusion
In the 21st Century, the US administration should work in collaboration with the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) in order to provide quality education for all. The US authorities should also form alliances between minority and majority communities in order to reinforce cohesion and tolerance among citizens. These aspects may fulfill the social responsibility of the government towards its people.
Monitoring and evaluation measures should enhance employment of minority groups in government agencies. The government should conduct adequate research on ways of reducing economic disparities among its citizens like provision of free housing to poor people. The idea may thus address economic challenges of the American people. The US administration should provide forums within legislative bodies in which minority groups can present their grievances. This aspect may address political challenges facing the US government.
Works Cited
Faragher, John M., Mari Jo Buhle, Susan H. Armitage and Daniel H. Czitrom. Out of Many: A History of the American People, Brief Edition. New Jersey: Pearson, 2011.Print.