We in the USA are lucky.

Over two centuries we have developed a rule of law that values the civil rights and liberties of our citizens.

True, there’s room for improvement…

We have yet to pass the Equal Rights Amendment, remove social and political barriers associated with gender transgression, resolve de facto racial discrimination, and detach ourselves from patriarchal norms.

But there is a continued progress around the country to address these hanging social inequalities.

Other countries are not as fortunate.

While we have a judicial system to protect and defend our rights…these women do not…

The shocking images before you are of three women who were doused in acid as punishment for turning down proposals and undesired arranged marriages.

In Western cultures, there is a consensus that arranged marriages are not natural and that couples should elope for emotionally driven reasons, such as love and passion.

Unfortunately, these women are long past worrying about matters of the heart.

To some of them, marriage is another burden and societal pressure.  Defying this deeply ingrained tradition could mean life or death.

The practice seems to western eyes primitive and unjust. But what are we to do?

It is hard to convince other societies to change their ways when there are large cultural differences to factor.

What is to some people a barbaric offence (the attacks above, or the death penalty in the US) is to others a proper form of punishment.

There are good non-governmental organizations trying to draw attention to these and other human rights abuses around the globe. But what should our government role in fighting for human rights?

The US has, at times put human rights at the center of its foreign policy. Unfortunately, with the detention center at Quantanamo Bay, accusations of torture and the atrocites at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq, our human rights’ reputation around the globe has taken a hit.

Being good buddies with questionable human rights regimes in Saudi Arabia and Egypt also doesn’t help the resumé.

Still… we would like to hope that our government would continue to work hard toward stopping the kind of abuse witnessed above.  

By continuing to fight for human rights here and abroad we can, over time, help inspire, educate, and finally instill faith into cultures where abuses often go unpunished.

What do you think we and our government should be doing in the fight for human rights?