Americans historically don’t like being told what to do or how to do it, especially by foreign entities. It’s that aversion to nagging from abroad that got us where we are today. Sorry, Britain.
It’s even less desirable when the nagging comes from our experiment-turned-Frankenstein’s monster of an international organization­ — the United Nations.
Considering that it is, for all intents and purposes, a hodgepodge of our geopolitical adversaries, Sharia-driven dictatorships, and third-world banana republics, any advice they send our way ought to be taken with a ton of salt. That’s in customary units, commies.
The U.N. Committee Against Torture released a report last Friday lambasting the United States for its lack of investigation into counter-terrorism techniques, police brutality and immigration policies. This coming from a body whose idea of a border is synonymous with the word ‘global.’
This all took place during the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment in Geneva, Switzerland. Apparently, the U.N. Committee for Shortening Convention Names was out on holiday.
The convention touched on several issues, including advanced interrogation techniques practiced by the Central Intelligence Agency following the 9/11 terror attacks, indefinite detentions at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and — you guessed it — the Michael Brown shooting and resulting protests in Ferguson.
Brown’s parents even had their say behind closed doors, where they reportedly claimed in a document their son’s killing and the force used to quell the riots that followed were violations of the Convention against Torture.
I didn’t realize protecting citizens and private property was tantamount with actual human rights violations. I understand the Brown family is devastated, but it seems the only reason they went to the U.N. with what appears to be an open and shut case is because 12 grand jurors and anyone with any regard for the rule of law saw it as just that.
They also requested the U.N. panel recommend the immediate arrest of former officer Darren Wilson for the shooting. Last time I checked, the whole affair took place in St. Louis County, which lies right in the middle of the U.S., a sovereign state. Even if the panel recommended such action, the only appropriate response would have been a collective middle finger raised in the general direction of the U.N. Secretariat Building in New York City.
If the U.N. wants to take a close look at nations who are violating basic human rights, they should, but I wholly recommend they start with nations whose names start with either ‘the People’s Democratic Republic of’ or ‘the Islamic Republic of’.
I realize the U.S. does not have a perfect track record, but when other states across the globe invade their neighbors with mid-20th century rationale, kill their citizens for apostasy, force women to wear certain clothing because they can’t let the 13th century go and repress pro-democracy protesters, I’m forced to take a step back and say, “Damn, America is looking pretty exceptional today.”
If the U.N. wants to continually call us out on issues that are none of its concern, then maybe the administration should ask the Executive Office of the Secretary-General to look at its budget to remind them just who keeps their lights on.
Ryan McGehee is a 21-year-old political science, international studies and history senior from Zachary, Louisiana. You can reach him on Twitter @JRyanMcGehee.