State Department’s Annual Human Rights Abuse Report Reports Human Rights Still Being Abused

Shutting down the Internet. Silencing opponents. Slaying government dissidents. Oh, and “the repression of vulnerable minorities, including racial and ethnic and religious minorities along with lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people,” was the popular thing to do, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton says of what the State Department’s annual human rights report found in 194 countries in 2010. “Societies,” says Clinton, “flourish when they address human rights problems instead of suppressing them. And we hope that this report will give comfort to the activists, will shine a spotlight on the abuses, and convince those in government that there are other and better ways.” You can follow along at home by logging on to HumanRights.gov, though I warn you: You won’t find any fun photo collages of Iraqis gluing buttholes shut.