Essay_SZ

Human rights are, by dictionary definition, fundamental rights belonging to an individual, whose government does not interfere, as the right to speak, work, learn, etcetera. Humans may deserve the same rights worldwide and quite possibly be given the same rights, but that does not mean those human rights are always respected. The rights in India, Sudan, Israel, and Mexico are mostly similar to each other ― there is disrespect for the peoples’ rights, ― however some of the rights are admired and respected.

In India, there is a caste system that divides the country by who you are and what level of society you are born into. The highest caste is the Brahmans, then Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, the Sudras, then the Dalits, who consider themselves the “untouchables.” The “untouchables” are so low in society that they are not even in the caste system. The Dalits are given the worst jobs, such as cleaning feces, and other members of the country, in higher castes, don’t often acknowledge the “untouchables.” The caste system reflects discrimination and corrupt government. Other mistreatments of human rights in India are occurring at the border of India and Bangladesh. The India Border Security Force has been unnecessarily killing Bangladeshi officials for the past decade and none of the perpetrators are being arrested. Also the police force in India has been committing abusive acts towards civilians, whether or not the people did anything wrong. Positively, India and the United States are coming together to help protect human rights.

Meanwhile, in Sudan, there are many conflicts that defy and go against human rights. Major conflict in the Darfur area, the Janjaweed militia ― hired by the government ― commits attacks on villages, scaring people from their homes and to refugee camps. This militia reflects on the corrupt government in the country, but also the rights taken away from citizens. In Sudan, the women are not treated equal to men. Girls cannot always receive an education. Education is normally ignored because women are supposed to marry early. However after females marry, their limit on their rights becomes even tighter. Most parents are more concerned about their boy’s education because the parents think that boys contribute more. Another right abused in Sudan is child labor. Children are told by their parents to work, or do so because they have no one to provide for them. When the children work, they work for long hours and sometimes spend their pay on family or just not on themselves. In one case, a boy worked because his mom ran away because his dad drank and would beat her. He would use the money he earned to feed his brothers. He said if his father had money, the boy would save his for school.

In Israel, the Government is discriminative and there is an ongoing conflict in the country. The conflict in Israel has been going on for years; it involves Arabs and Israelis. A document was signed in support of giving Palestine a Jewish homeland. This document, the Balfour Declaration, was respectful of human rights, but it reflects the conflict that occurs in the country. Currently, there is a blockade on the Gaza Strip that places risk for Gazan citizens, because it cuts off aid, food, and anything else that may need to enter the Gaza Strip. However, this blockage also poses a risk to Israel. Other human rights violations occurring include Palestinians becoming violent with Israelis and police officers because of Israelis moving into the area. This violence reflects discrimination and corruption in the government. An additional discriminating human right occurs in the West Bank; the rights are skewed in favor of Israelis over Palestinians.

Lastly, Mexico has a lot of violence and corruption. The military in Mexico has been acting violently towards citizens. The Mexican government has been arresting people for the past decade with lack of proof that the civilians did anything wrong. The army is also torturing the people whether they committed a crime or not. This issue with the military and army reflects rights being taken away. Another disrespected right is people are being trafficked in Mexico. A law was established to help eliminate the trafficking but not much progress has been made. The trafficking reflects defiance of human rights. A positive note of human rights in Mexico is that a ruling has been made that same sex couples are being given the opportunity to adopt. The Supreme Court stated that they cannot withhold rights when it comes to sexual orientation or gender identity. This adoption ruling shows that this country does have respect for human rights.

In conclusion, the human experience in these four countries is somewhat the same; the human rights are disrespected. Although most of the rights are not respected or fairly treated, in Mexico and India some rights are respected. In Mexico, same sex couples are permitted to adopt children. In India, India and the U.S. are working together to protect human rights.