COMMENTS ON EVENTSRidicule and human rights.Recent world events show that for any democracy to survive, people who live in a country and come to live in that country should publicly agree on certain basic rights for all. Two of these should surely be agreeing that punishments should be no harsher than the crime, and that the innocent should not suffer as revenge for what others may do. Even ridicule should not be punished by death or injury. A third common right is that no-one should be condemned without
knowledge of the facts, unswayed by rumours. A fourth could be that people should be judged on the good they do, not just the wrong. (For example, are the Muslims who are upset by what they see as blasphemy aware of the vast sums that Danish and Norwegian people have donated to help their peoples, over many years, with no strings, and nothing in return? These should be on world-wide record.) People within a country may seek to overturn a government or an economic system. That is not as serious as not agreeing to these four common rights. People who live in a country or come to a country need not share the same religion or peaceful politics, but they must agree on basic rights for all. Back to OzIdeas Home Page |
