Mt. Edgecumbe High School, 2nd Place Essay Contest Winner

For the Rights of All

by Sacha Mattley

“Even if each person could alienate himself, he could not alienate his children; they are born free men; their liberty belongs to them, and no one has the right to dispose of it except themselves.” –Jean-Jacques Rousseau. This quote is important to me because it shows that you can only think yourself and not for anyone else. You have the right to do whatever you want as long as it is not against the law. For example, you can not force somebody else do your work for you that is considered slavery. You can not turn someone into someone else, just because you don’t like them the way they are. You can only change yourself. This semester we have been given a serious look at human rights issues by reading the memoir called Night by a survivor of World War Two, Elie Wiesel, studying the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and learning about how the world is trying to help those in need.
In the book Night, by Elie Wiesel we learned about what had happened during the time that Elie was at the concentration camps in Germany. Elie told us, in his book, that six-million Jews were killed, for no reason at all. The Germans (Nazis), just took them from their homes, stuffed and crammed them into box cars, then took them to a concentration camp. There the Jews were made to work for no pay. They barely got enough to eat to keep them alive. When one was sick he was sent to the hospital if he did not recover he was killed, burned, cremated. Luckily Elie survived until the war was over. He is still alive today.
On December 10,1948 the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted the UDHR to help the world heal from the destruction of World War Two. After this, the Assembly called upon member countries to publicize the words of the Declaration and cause it to be displayed, read, and posted up in schools and educational places. Nobody ever wanted what happened in WW2 to ever happen again. By posting these Rights, the people would surely follow these “rules” and live a better life. With these Rights, it was hoped and dreamed that nothing like that should ever happen again, if people followed them. The only problem is, is that the UDHR is not a law so many people don’t follow them. If the Human Rights were “born” and were a law before WW2, the Nazis would have been in a heap of trouble. The “rules” or Human Rights that were broken, or disobeyed in the book Night were: Human Right #2- Don’t discriminate, Humane Right #3- The right to life, Human Right #4- No slavery, Human Right #5- No torture, Human Right #9- Unfair detainment, Human Right #14- The right to asylum, Human Right #18- Freedom of thought, Human Right #19- Freedom of speech, Human Right #23- Workers rights, Human Right #24- The right to play, Human Right #25- a bed and some food, and Human Right #28- A fair, free world. These Rights were not given to the Jews. They were disobeyed by the Nazis, who didn’t believe that the Jews were human enough to have those Rights. Say the Human Rights were “born” before WW2, when the Nazis disobeyed them and didn’t give the Jews their Rights, they would have either gotten a prison sentence of forced to work, with no pay, and not eat, and be tortured and killed, just like the did to the Jews. Sweet Revenge. While at the camp the Jews should have had their Rights. The Jews knew they had them, but if they stood up to the S.S soldiers, and told them that they had their Rights, they would have been shot on the spot. The UDHR has been around since 1948. So far the U.S.A has abided by the UDHR. In other countries, they must not believe in them, because there is still slavery, torture, discrimination, unfair detainment, and no right to a free education. The UDHR has been around for almost 70 years, and I hope that they will always be around and that everyone will follow them for years and years to come.
Many organizations are committed to helping people in need. Youth for Human Rights International (YHRI) teaches students about having their own Human Rights. Videos of Human Rights are posted up everywhere around the world: on small screens in cabs, during half time at football, soccer, and basketball games, in schools and in supermarkets. In February 2004 YHRI representatives went out on a 45,000 mile world educational tour. To date, these tours have touched the lives of millions. The United Nations (UN) is an international organization that keeps peace in the world. This organization was found in 1945 right after World War Two. The United Nations is best known for its peace building and peace keeping. It also works on a broad range of fundamental issues ranging from sustainable development, disaster relief, counter terrorism, human rights, and cleaning landmines, to expanding food productions. Human Rights Watch (HRW) is the leading organization. It is dedicated to defending and protecting human rights. For thirty years HRW has worked to bring greater justice and security to people around the world. HRW is stopping or trying to stop rape being used as a weapon in the Congo. Amnesty International focuses on freeing prisoners of conscience, it is a world wide movement of people who campaign for internationally recognized human rights for all. This organization is outraged by Human Rights abuse but is inspired by hope for a better world. Its mission is to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuse of human rights and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated. All of these organizations and many more are dedicated to help everyone who needs it.
We have learned about how people need to be treated fairly by learning about the rights all human beings deserve. Since the look at the Human Rights by reading Night, and lots of research, I have now decided to follow all human rights. By respecting and doing what the human rights say, I, too, can help organizations and other people help the world to be a better place to live, and help those who need it. What the Nazis did was wrong, and since the Human Rights are published, now people can read them, follow them, and make sure everyone can live happy and free, like they are supposed to be.