Bravo to those who spent so much time and energy crafting a proposal for a Human Rights Commission at the county level! Their initial work is to be commended, but there is still much more that needs to be added to make this proposed commission truly a Human Rights Commission. As presented, it only deals with a limited number of civil rights.
The Communities of Color Coalition (C3) has supported the concept of a Human Rights Commission for Snohomish County since before the beginning of this endeavor but is unable to support the specific proposal that was submitted to the Snohomish County Council this spring. It doesn’t go far enough for it to be called a commission on human rights.
The Washington State Human Rights Commission, which the proposal is supposed to be patterned after, also only addresses civil rights. Since all county citizens are already covered by the state ordinance, let’s step up and lead the way to a genuine human rights ordinance. To truly be a human rights ordinance the proposal should be patterned after the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, adopted by the United Nations on Dec. 10, 1948, and currently translated into more than 300 languages. (www.un.org/en/documents/udhr)
The UDHR covers such basic rights as participation in the governance of public affairs, education, judicial processes, corrections, economic enterprise, public health, health care and voting rights. Some have said that issues such as voting rights and immigration “are beyond the scope of local laws and are best handled at the federal level.” We say these issues also have local impacts that a county level Human Rights Commission can act on.
History supports this view. For example, in the 1960s courageous white students went to the South to engage in local actions to register black voters. A county level Human Rights Commission could have provided policy direction to the local elected officials in that effort and education on a community-wide basis to avoid or minimize the violence that resulted.
Here are some of the guiding principles we envision for a Snohomish County Human Rights Commission:
nAll human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights. They are endowed with reason and conscience and should act towards one another in a spirit of brotherhood. (UDHR Article 1)
nAll are equal before the law and are entitled without any discrimination to equal protection against any discrimination and against any incitement to such discrimination. (UDHR Article 7)
nNo one shall be subjected to arbitrary arrest, detention or exile. (UDHR Article 9)
nNo one shall be held guilty of any penal offense on account of any act or omission which did not constitute a penal offense, at the time when it was committed. (UDHR Article 11)
nEveryone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; including freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers. (UDHR Article 19)
nEveryone has the right of equal access to public service. (UDHR Article 21)
nEveryone has the right to work, to free choice of employment, to just and favorable conditions of work, to protection against unemployment, to equal pay for equal work and the right to a living wage. (UDHR Article 23)
nEveryone has the right to a standard of living adequate for the health and well-being of himself and of his family, including food, clothing, housing and medical care and necessary social services, and the right to security in the event of unemployment, sickness, disability, widowhood, old age or other lack of livelihood in circumstances beyond his control. (UDHR Article 25)
nEveryone has the right to education. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the maintenance of peace. (UDHR Article 26)
nEveryone has the right to freely participate in the cultural life of the community, to enjoy the arts and to share in scientific advancement and its benefits. (UDHR Article 27)
These are just some of the 30 Articles in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights that we have paraphrased. We encourage everyone to read the full UDHR and support a full and true Human Rights Commission at the county level that will help assure that all of the people of Snohomish County are able to enjoy the inalienable rights and fundamental freedoms they are born with.
Kinuko Noborikawa is chair of the Snohomish County-based Communities of Color Coalition (C3). Her views here reflect those of the organization.
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