Blog Action Day October 16, 2013 Topic: Human Rights

Article title: A Nation of Immigrants

Picture found at edsitment.neh.gov

“We the people, in order to form a more perfect union,” acknowledge that most of us and/or our ancestors were not born in this country. Although it seems proper to say “American made,” have we really thought about our family lineage? Were we really “Made in America?” We, decedents of Africans, Britain people, Russians, and other cultures established outside of the United States of America; have to take a stance on who we are and where we are from. Though many of us may not be aware of our ancestral ties, we must still know that in “1492, when Columbus sailed the ocean blue,” many of our cultures found here today were not among those found in the area now known as the United States of America. With this being said, would this not make us a nation of immigrants? A nation of somewhat similar cultures who journeyed to the United States of America through various methods, to reap the benefits of what The Statue of Liberty exudes; “hope and opportunity for those seeking a better life in America.”

In being a nation of immigrants and having a statue that represents immigrants are welcome to the country, should not all those who want to live in this wonderful country be able to partake in some of the same human rights as those living here? This brings me to the topic of immigration reform and the rights of individuals under “The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.” Article 13 of this declaration states that “Everyone has the right to freedom of movement and residence within the borders of each state.” This means that everyone has a right to migrate to another country if he or she chooses to do so. In researching various information, I came across S. 744. The bill is:

A broad-based proposal for reforming the U.S. immigration system written by a bipartisan group of eight Senators known as the “Gang of Eight.” Senators Charles Schumer (D-NY), John McCain (R-AZ), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Marco Rubio (R-FL), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Jeff Flake (R-AZ) drafted S. 744 in the spring of 2013.

The bill is heavily supported by the “American Civil Liberties Union.” This organization was established 90 years ago with the duty of “protecting rights of all people, whether or not they were born in the U.S.” Some of the points within the bill are regarding: “Increasing the number of border protection officers at the border, reporting all uses of force used by personnel, and coordinating federal program and response to immigrant integration. Those are not all of the key issues at hand; however they are discussed within the bill. 

I challenge you to use this day (Blog Action Day) to learn and blog about something dealing with Human Right issues. You will be glad you did. 

Blog Action Day October 16, 2013 #BAD13