What Are Human Rights? | Teen Ink

What Are Human Rights?

April 17, 2012
By Anonymous

What are human rights? Are they enforced by the government? Or just something we think we are born with?
The definition is a right that is believed to belong justifiably to every person. There are thirty human rights written in The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, some include no slavery, no torture, and the right to life. Are these not fair? Would these hurt someone? If these are fair and would help society then why are there still people being taken as slaves and people tortured in the world? What is even worse about this is the people that enforce these, the people who come with guns and force people who have no other choice but to die to become slaves just so the people can make some money. But why are they making money? You can’t put a price on life; it’s not like buying a dog or cat. This is a living human that has dreams and wishes and by doing this will ruin their life.

After all the lessons in class that we have had I have learned about the differences and similarities between us and people in Africa. I was surprised about how many similarities we have with our partner school in Uganda, such as the classrooms we have, their economy, and language. But then the differences surprising too, such as the way they live, the differences in needs and wants between us, the type of environment, and entertainment they have. We look at air conditioning and a family to come home to everyday as nothing, we just expect it. We take advantage of what other people around the world wish they could have.

Some of the human rights I have seen I just expect and don’t even think about not having it and I’m sure many other Americans think the same way.


Ghana’s GDP is $32,321 billion and is place 85th worldwide compared to the United States GDP $14,526,550 billion and is placed 1st worldwide. Some of Ghana’s natural resources that help with their economy are Gold, oil, timber, diamonds, bauxite, manganese, and fish. They export about $7.33 billion in gold, cocoa, and other resources while importing $10.18 billion in food, petroleum, machinery equipment, and raw resources.

Some of the ideas that I have found interesting while studying this topic are this rights to life and liberty, also the right to play. I don’t think of these as rights, I don’t even think about them… just expect them. I go outside almost every day an ride my bike, run, or whatever else and don’t even think that it is a right to be doing this and that some people in the world can’t do what I am doing. That they can’t go outside a run around whenever they want to.
Something that I also found interesting is when my school Skyped with a teacher from a school in Ghana. He mentioned when he was talking to us that people in Ghana think that everybody in the U.S. is rich, and I have never thought of that before. That people in Ghana may not even be able to afford what possibly some homeless people in the U.S. have. If you think about it, a small house here could probably buy a pretty nice house in Ghana.



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