Apropos of everyone asking why there’s been no real public condemnation of Uganda’s Kill The Gays bill, Sec. of State Hillary Clinton finally went off on the country’s planned state-sponsored identity cleansing.
Speaking to a crowd at Georgetown University, Clinton, halfway through a lengthy speech, addressed the elephant in the room:
Sometimes, we will have the most impact by publicly denouncing a government action, like the coup in Honduras or the violence in Guinea. Other times, we will be more likely to help the oppressed by engaging in tough negotiations behind closed doors, like pressing China and Russia as part of our broader agenda. In every instance, our aim will be to make a difference, not to prove a point.
Calling for accountability doesn’t start or stop at naming offenders. Our goal is to encourage—even demand—that governments must also take responsibility by putting human rights into law and embedding them in government institutions; by building strong, independent courts and competent and disciplined police and law enforcement. And once rights are established, governments should be expected to resist the temptation to restrict freedom of expression when criticism arises, and be vigilant in preventing law from becoming an instrument of oppression, as bills like the one under consideration in Uganda to criminalize homosexuality would do.
We know that all governments—and all leaders—sometimes fall short. So there have to be internal mechanisms of accountability when rights are violated. Often the toughest test for governments, this is essential to the protection of human rights. And here, too, we should lead by example. In the last six decades we have done this—imperfectly at times but with significant outcomes—from making amends for the internment of our own citizens in World War II, to establishing legal recourse for victims of discrimination in the Jim Crow South, to passing hate crimes legislation to include attacks against gays and lesbians. When injustice anywhere is ignored, justice everywhere is denied. Acknowledging and remedying mistakes does not make us weaker, it reaffirms the strength of our principles and institutions.
She is right! President Yoweri Museveni is falling short. Way short. He’s about to violate the human rights of thousands and thousands. So, uh, what is the U.S. prepared to do about it now?
terrwill
Hows ’bout starting by immediatley withdrawing every single
dollar of the HALF BILLION DOLLARS PER YEAR of OUT tax
dollars sent to the subhuman homophobic savages in their cesspool of a country.
AlanInUtah
God I wish Hillary would have been president.
staciegirlie
Me too. Hillary’s my hero.
GETJ
She should have been. I love her. Best thing about the Obama administration is the State dept., so I can only guess she would have made a better President.
InExile
Hillary won the popular vote in the primary, never forget that.
She always stands up for us unlike her boss.
FakeName
Oh please. Hilary’s positions on LGBT issues are identical to Barack Obama’s. What, she pays 30 seconds of lip service to Uganda and suddenly she’s a hero? The White House issues a 24-word statement on the bill and Obama’s a spineless coward who doesn’t dare speak up. Hilary speaks a 47-word sentence as part of a much longer speech and she’s the Champion of Compassion and Justice?
Matt Deco
Yikes, isn’t savages a little harsh?
I mean, isn’t that showing them the same discrimination they are showing us?
However, I believe that their should be economic sanctions. While the world still may not like us gays, it should be able to unite against the wanton murder of us. …Right?
Jason Moreland
Second statement in less than two weeks. The State Dept as usual is on the ball. Wish she was President.
GETJ
“Oh please. Hilary’s positions on LGBT issues are identical to Barack Obama’s.”
Their positions may have supposedly been the same, but I feel like their actions would have been way way different. Obama has talked a lot of talk. That’s about it. He should have stuck with a career in paid speeches.
schlukitz
Hillary would certainly get my vote.
FakeName
You think Hilary Clinton, who spent the first year of her husband’s administration crafting health care reform, wouldn’t have put that at the top of her list too?
InExile
I think Hillary can walk an chew gum besides she has something Obama will never have BALLS. Face it, we have the wrong President.
edgyguy1426
Hindsight, as they say…….
Jason Moreland
Fake Name- healthcare would have been done properly. It’s apparent The One does not give a rat’s ass about healthcare or anything else besides what the One’s interested in.
FakeName
Whether she would or wouldn’t have done health care “right” isn’t the point. The point is that her priority list would probably have been little different from Obama’s has been.
Jason Moreland
Fake Name- you mean she might actually have had a domestic agenda instead of wanting to be Mr.International. Someone was not listening in 2008.
InExile
Health care died in Denver at the democrat’s convention.
schlukitz
No. 17 · InExile
Health care died in Denver at the democrat’s convention.
Of course it did!
We have far more important things to deal with like a war in Iraq, a war in Iran, the possibility of another police action (read war) with Iran over nuclear proliferation, bailing out all of the white collar criminals who stole half of the countries savings and the most important thing of all…keeping faggots in their place!
Welcome to Twenty-First Century America.
Land of the oppressed and the cowards.
Keith
There is no doubt in my mind she’d get stuff done. I like Obama but Hillary definitely is not just a show horse. There is no doubt in my mind she would have been a better president…not as warm as fuzzy but is that what we really need right now? The woman has balls and I have nothing but respect for her.
terrwill
No. 19 · Keith: When refering to a woman, please refrain from
the term “balls” please use “breasticles” :p
No. 7 · Matt Deco: Sorry but that is the only term I find
appropriate for a group of who wants nothing but death for
the Gay community. They are nothing but savage thugs and their
country is basicaly a cesspool proped up by the likes of
the half billion dollars per year the US sends to it, our
tax dollars are funding this legislation……….