Hands Up (Don't Shoot)

"U.N. Condemns U.S. Police Brutality, Calls for 'Stand Your Ground' Review"
By: Stephanie Nebehay
Source: Huffington Post
 http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/08/30/un-police-brutality-stand-your-ground_n_5740734.html


   For a country that prides itself on its preachings of equality for all, America sure is hypocritical. One may not be surprised upon hearing news of teens belonging to ethnic minorities in the country being shot to death. As tragic as such news is, these incidents have become an ordinary occurrence in the United States. This surprise has now evolved into an aggrieved movement for justice. Some may argue that the victims' shooters acted in self-defense, in turn blaming the departed victim. However, it is quite difficult to believe that policemen trained to protect civilians can feel so "threatened" by unarmed adolescents as to shoot them an unnecessary amount of times under the immunity granted by "Stand Your Ground" laws.
   On Friday, August 29, the United Nations Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, chastised America for the excessive force administered by law enforcement officials. It shed light on the budding racism that is reflected in these crimes by questioning the "Stand Your Ground" Laws, which allow a person to use deadly force against a perceived threat in self-defense. These laws have been severely misused as a breeding ground for racism, as is the case with the recent tragedy in Ferguson, Missouri. Here, an unarmed African American teen, Michael Brown, was shot to death by a police officer using the same false pretense. This sparked outrage that was not limited to the city where the injustice occurred; calls for justice were heard from around the country. It is such an immense issue that even outside of the United States, the United Nations also demands change. They have observed racial profiling, notably by law enforcement, that has remained in the country. This discrimination  has stolen away the young lives of victims such as Brown, Trayvon Martin, and Jordan Davis, and has also grown to impede upon voting rights of minorities. The U.N. panel held on Friday about this obstinate problem called for a revision to the "Stand Your Ground" Laws, a revision that would serve the just purpose of protecting civilians. "U.S. Ambassador Keith Harper told the panel his nation had made "great strides toward eliminating racial discrimination" but conceded that "we have much left to do"" (Nebehay 1). Who would have known that refraining from discrimination is that difficult a task in twenty-first century America that worldwide panels have no choice but to intervene?