Human rights are defined to be moral principles or norms that describe certain standards of human behavior, and are regularly protected as legal rights in municipal and international law. They are commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights “to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being,” and which are “inherent in all human beings” regardless of their nation, location, language, religion, ethnic origin or any other status. They are applicable everywhere and at every time in the sense of being universal, and they are egalitarian in the sense of being the same for everyone. They are regarded as requiring empathy and the rule of law and imposing an obligation on persons to respect the human rights of others, and it is generally considered that they should not be taken away except as a result of due process based on specific circumstances.
At the top of every list of human rights is the inherent right to life, protected by law, such that no one shall be arbitrarily deprived of life. For example, The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly at its 3rd session on December 10th, 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot in Paris, France. Article 3 of the UDHR says, “Everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person.” This would seem to be the ultimate human right.
Other human rights that are generally agreed upon are: the freedom from torture; the freedom from slavery; the right to a fair trial; the freedom from unlawful imprisonment or execution; the freedom of speech; the freedom of thought, conscience, and expression; the freedom of religion; the freedom of movement; women’s rights; sexual orientation and gender identity; the right to work and trade; and, the right to water and sanitation.
However, none of these other rights have meaning without the first: the right to life. How can one have the right to a fair trial or to water if he is denied the right to life; i.e., if he is dead? Article 6.1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights states: “The right to life is the essential right that a human being has the right not to be killed by another human being.”
Note that none of this discussion puts limitations of this right to life. It’s not that this right can be denied for certain people because they live in a certain place, or because they are of a certain gender or a certain age. So, the United States of America is in horrid violation of this right to life because we willingly kill one million completely innocent unborn children every year. That’s our law, and this ultimate violation of human rights, and our biggest cause of death, must be allowed. Where is the right to a fair trial for the unborn? Where is the freedom of speech or thought or conscience or expression or religion or movement or water or sanitation for these unborn human beings? Where is their right to speak out for women’s rights, sexual orientation, or gender identity? We deliberately removed all of these rights from the unborn when we willingly and arbitrarily kill them. Where was their due process; their freedom from unlawful execution; or, the right not to be killed by another human being?
The most dangerous place for an American is in the womb.