Human Rights

Sometimes I have an entry with a purpose and I have a clear idea of what I want to say, this isn't one of those, feel free to skim (all three of you out there). I have my final for my class on human rights tomorrow. I took the class because I don't really believe in human rights, and well people are talking about them all the time and I thought I should figure out what all the fuss was about. I don't mean I didn't believe in them as in I was against them (i.e. yeah torture), just for me I only though of human rights as natural rights (i.e. rights everyone was born with and that have to be respected). I though they were a good idea, just also always thought, 'hey guys, look around, I think they forget to pass out the human rights in the rather large chunk of the planet." So then I learned in class that via UN conventions there are some universal legal human rights. Good to know and also amusing since when it comes to international law states both try to play up whatever declaration to the nth degree (i.e. look! we're passing the 'make the world an amazing place decree,' man, the world is going to be so much more amazing after that thing is passed), and then simultaneously try to limit the extent it can be applied as much as possible (i.e. no, no, we don't need a monitoring mechanism for the anti-torture convention, we'll all just look out for our own people. What that thing over there? No its not a wrack...no...its a high chair with straps for my good friend Mr. prisoner...um...Bob, yes his name is Bob). Also it is fun because whenever you learn international law it is like 'the entire world does things this way, except for the US, which clothes its eyes and yells loudly whenever the convention is mentioned.' Morale: we have human rights, they were just put in a very safe place and nobody remembers where that place is.