Overview of Human Rights in United States of America

The United States (U.S.) is one of the richest nations in the world, but it also has one of the highest poverty rates among developed nations. Issues such as poverty, unemployment, homelessness, and hunger are just as important here as in developing countries.

The government of the U.S. has long had a mixed human rights record. While it promotes democracy and equality abroad, many of its own citizens face discrimination and/or persecution at home. Thus, the U.S. continues to be condemned by many in the international community for violating the human rights of citizens at home and of potential terrorists abroad.

The Bush administration, in the wake of September 11, 2001 terror attacks, authorized illegal wiretapping of domestic telephone conversations and e-mail transmissions. As well, the Patriot Act was renewed in December 2005, thus allowing the Federal Bureau of Investigation easier access to monitor potential terrorist activities, while also infringing on civil and privacy rights of law-abiding citizens. Other key problem areas include the suspension on habeus corpus, the interminable detainment of those deemed to be "enemy combatants," and the government's right to determine who might fall into that obscure category.   There have also been allegations about U.S. complicity in secret prisons or "black sites," in which prisoners are taken to other countries and tortured.  The Bush administration's failure to take a strong stand against torture and to uphold the Geneva Conventions has been the source of great consternation.

Indeed, in the "war on terror," the U.S. has been responsible for many abuses. Reports indicated that 505 men remain in indefinite detention at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. These "enemy combatants" are being held without charges and against both international and U.S. domestic law. Other detainees are being housed in facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan. Since 2002, at least 88 detainees have died in U.S. custody; at least 20 of these are considered criminal homicide. Detainee abuse is rampant in all locations housing detainees from the war on terror.

Asylum seekers in the U.S. now face even more hurdles as they must now ‘prove their persecutors reasons for harming them.’ This is almost impossible as one cannot show what another person is thinking and therefore the ability to gain asylum is decreasing. Other legislation passed now severely restricts the ability of those denied asylum to have their cases reviewed by a federal judge.

Police abuse and the use of excessive force are also common in the U.S. In recent years, there have been numerous cases of wrongful injury or death of unarmed ‘suspects’ at the hands of the police. Prison conditions are also inadequate in many facilities across the nation. In recent years, the federal system has been deemed to be at least 30 percent over its capacity limit. Overcrowding, coupled with inadequate staffing in prisons, makes it extremely difficult to maintain safety and security. Some seven million people are either incarcerated, on probation, or on parole. Violence, overcrowding, and sexual abuse, are all issues which prisoners must deal with on a daily basis.

In August 2005, the country suffered its worst national disaster when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. The storm and the devastation left in its wake led to the deaths of over 1,500 people, displaced millions, and effectively shut down much of Louisiana for a month. While evacuations were called upon, those who were too poor or invalid were left to fend for themselves during the storm and in the immediate aftermath. Most of those left behind were African-American.  The dire scenario was criticized for being evidence of systemic discrimination.

Discrimination against ethnic, religious, and sexual minorities is deeply entrenched in American society. Migrant workers and immigrants are a vulnerable population in America as well. Verbal and physical abuse at the hands of police does occur, as do hate crimes. Police often fail to respond adequately to hate crimes, especially those related to sexual preferences.

Child abuse is also a serious abuse of concern in the U.S.

As well, recent assessments have downgraded the U.S. on the issue of media freedom. 

Human Development Index (HDI) Rank: 8th out of 177

Note: Human Development Index (HDI) is a composite index that measures the level of well-being of nations in the world. It uses factors such as poverty, literacy, life-expectancy, education, gross domestic product, and purchasing power parity to assess the average achievements in each nation. It has been used in the United Nation’s Human Development Report since 1993.