“As we commemorate International Human Rights Day this year,
let us recommit our nation to the principles of the Universal Declaration, values
that define
“As Americans, we believe every human being has the basic
right to live free from violence, oppression, and deprivation. Any government that refuses to guarantee
these rights or violates them has no place in the community of nations.
“We believe that every worker in the world has the right to
a living wage, a safer workplace, and to organize and bargain
collectively. Any government that
refuses to secure these rights for its people undermines its workers and their
nation’s prosperity.
“The Universal Declaration of Human Rights was adopted in the wake of the atrocities of World War II to serve notice to the world’s would-be dictators that membership in the community of nations is not decided, not on the weight of their military might, but on their commitment to basic human rights.”
