The United Nations Generally Assembly completed a vote today to restore sexual orientation (but forget about gender identity!) to a resolution barring extrajudicial executions, a term that refers to senseless slaughter of mankind, as opposed to perfectly reasonable slaughter of mankind. The non-legally binding measure (of which all U.N. resolutions are) was proposed by U.S. Ambassador Susan Rice, with a 93-55-27 vote amending the resolution, and a 122-0-59 passing the resolution. There was the requisite outrage from Arab and African counties, like Zimbabwe, where Ambassador Chitsaka Chipaziwa lamented, “We will not have [the amendment] foisted on us. We cannot accept this, especially if it entails accepting such practices as bestiality, pedophilia and those other practices many societies would find abhorrent in their value systems.” As expected, the United States abstained from voting either way on the resolution, but that didn’t keep Rice from declaring, “Today, the United Nations General Assembly has sent a clear and resounding message that justice and human rights apply to all individuals regardless of their sexual orientation.”
do as i say
U.S. Succeeds In Re-Adding Gays To U.N. Slaughter Resolution, Promptly Abstains From Voting For It
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Ronbo
This is politics 101; don’t vote for something but claim it as a victory anyway. What kind of country are we that we can’t even vote FOR something this basic to human rights. Maybe we ARE in a declining state as a world power. I am ashaimed of my government.
Kev C
Gays are politically banned or blocked – then heroically unbanned and unblocked. One step back. One step forward. Some people call this progress.
paulcanning
Vote breakdown here > http://madikazemi.blogspot.com/2010/12/big-victory-for-usa-in-fresh-united.html
47 in total went in a positive direction. This is a quarter of the UN membership.
* One third of African countries changed their vote positively, including Rwanda and Angola voting yes.
* Almost the whole of the Caribbean changed their vote positively, including Jamaica.
paulcanning
The American abstention from the final resolution on extrajudicial killings after the sexual orientation inclusion vote (along with nine others) was related to reported criticism of the US’ use of drones in Pakistan and elsewhere. If so, this would be similar reasoning to their abstention in November.
In the debate at the UN the most moving contribution was from the Rwandan delegate who said that a group does not need to be “legally defined” to be targeted for massacres and referenced his countries experience. “We can’t continue to hide our heads in the sand” he said.”These people have a right to life.”
This Rwandan contribution is missing from the MSM coverage.
Tom in Lazybrook
Unfortunately, Qatar/Sepp Blatter/FIFA voted yes to killing/jailing Gays.
Kamikapse
That’s why everyone despises America.
jason
These Arabic countries are horrific holes. Corrupt as houses, sleazy to the max, and murderous in intent. Half of Africa is the same.
Daez
Perhaps the USA declined to vote because they realized that doing so would cause some other countries not to get on board.
The whole thing is futile anyways because most of the countries currently killing people based on sexual orientation are not exactly concerned what the UN thinks, are self sufficient (not worried about sanctions) and this is not exactly going to lead the USA (the real enforcement part of the UN) to go to war with those countries.
Cam
@Kamikapse:
Which part? The introduction of the legislation, or the abstention?
As far as everybody despising America, fine if you think so, but I’m just GUESSING that Rwanda, Iran, Zimbabwe, Saudi Arabia, etc… have a SLIGHTLY lower number of people desperatly trying to immigrate there.