Today, December 10 2008 is the 60th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

Although Americans, particularly Franklin Roosevelt (whose Four Freedoms speech was taken as inspiration), and Eleanor Roosevelt (who regarded it as her greatest accomplishment), were instrumental in the creation of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the United States has never lived up to the aspirations of that December day in 1948.

Aside from our having recently committed torture and conducted an illegal invasion of a country that did not attack us, we have failed as a country to promote the declared rights in the UDHR, and have failed to ratify many of the conventions that would make those rights the highest law of the land. And that is why I wish to remind everyone what is in the preamble, and for you to pay particular attention to the underlined words:

Now, Therefore THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY proclaims THIS UNIVERSAL DECLARATION OF HUMAN RIGHTS as a common standard of achievement for all peoples and all nations, to the end that every individual and every organ of society, keeping this Declaration constantly in mind, shall strive by teaching and education to promote respect for these rights and freedoms and by progressive measures, national and international, to secure their universal and effective recognition and observance, both among the peoples of Member States themselves and among the peoples of territories under their jurisdiction.

As I will show, every organ of American society does not keep this declaration constantly in mind, nor strive to teach and educate Americans about their universal human rights.

You should follow the link and read for yourselves the revolutionary ideas expressed in UDHR, the world's most translated document.

Here are a few that stand out:

Article 25.

(1) Everyone 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.

Does that ring a bell? In the recent Presidential debates, Tom Brokaw asked if medical care was a right. Would any person ask such a question in a society that for sixty years had done its best to "strive by teaching and education" to let people know about Article 25? Is it acceptable that American corporate media are not aware of these international agreements? Is not the media one of the organs of society most needed to defend the peoples' rights?

Article 23.

(4) Everyone has the right to form and to join trade unions for the protection of his interests.

And yet 60 years later Americans still get illegally fired for trying to organize labor unions.

Article 26.

(1) Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages... Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit.

With budget cuts and soaring college debt, we don't even come close to this kind of egalitarian vision. But article 26 is even more bold, declaring:

(2) Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace.

Doesn't sound like just cranking out "productive members of society", i.e. workers -- it's a much richer version of education, with a serious committment to tolerance. In a country that had spent the last sixty years promoting understanding, would it possible to smear a Presidential candidate with the "charge" that "he is a Muslim"?

But wait, there's more to the story of a dream deferred.

The Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Discrimination against Women

Adopted 18 Dec 1979 - Not Ratified by the USA (joined in not ratifying by a handful of countries including Iran, Sudan, Somalia)

The Convention on the Rights of the Child

Adopted 20 Nov 1989 - Not Ratified by the USA (joined in not ratifying only by Somalia, a nation with no central government)

The International Covenant on Economic, Social, and Cultural Rights

Adopted 16 Dec 1966 - Not Ratified by the USA

The story of UDHR is indeed an American story, and not just because Americans were so important in its creation. Much as the Declaration of Independence declared rights that were only to be enjoyed by a minority for more than 140 years, we Americans put on paper, in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a standard that we have not come close to meeting for 60 years. Likewise, the rest of the world mostly gets a failing grade. How much longer will we wait?