At a special SMU Faculty Club gathering Wednesday, numerous staff members, professors and community individuals were able to listen to Professor Rick Halperin speak. Halperin, the director of SMU’s Human Rights Education Program and the Chair of the Board of Amnesty International USA, was the guest speaker at the Faculty Club’s luncheon from 12 to 1 p.m.
His talk was titled “The Global Status of Human Rights” and consequently focused on how human rights are not being actualized in certain parts of the world.
Halperin talked about how violations of humans’ natural rights such as genocide, mass murder, torture and crimes against women continue to happen all around the world.
He mentioned that there has been at least “one major human rights crisis in every decade,” beginning with the Holocaust. Halperin tried to reveal injustices not only around the world, but also in the United States.
Halperin said all nations have not fully instituted human rights in their respective countries, the U.S. included. Halperin also commented on the moral state of modern America. He said the use of the death penalty in penal institutions demonstrates America’s lack of progressiveness in the human rights arena. Halperin said the U.S. is utilizing “Nazi torture practices” established during the Holocaust.
Halperin also said that the U.S. has not signed certain amnesty treaties because they feel “it will never affect them”. The U.S. has already experienced its first female genital mutilation, an international crime against women. Halperin stated that as a male he cannot understand crimes against women, and is appalled at those who unashamedly hurt people because of their gender.