human rights | Teen Ink

human rights

April 17, 2012
By Anonymous

What are Human Rights?

When I think of human rights I think of rights that people get when they are born to protect them and keep them safe. The definition of Human rights is rights that all humans should have. I don’t ever think about or bring up human rights in a conversation. I think that human rights are rights that not many people hear about. I think the reason people don’t think about them is because they are not laws.

What I have seen/hear about human rights?

What comes to mind when I think of Human Rights is the Waco Siege in 1993. The Waco siege was a standoff between a religious cult and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms. The ATF planned to raid the Branch Davidian compound, known as the Mount Carmel Center located just outside of Waco, Texas. With a warrant to search for illegal firearms in hand, the ATF attempted to Raid the compound on February 28, 1993. A gun fight broke out and lasted 2 hours. For 51 days the ATF waited outside the compound and tried to negotiate to end the standoff peacefully. A number of children and a few adults were released during this period, 84 men, women, and children stayed in the compound. On April 19 the ATF attempted to siege the compound by throwing tear gas in the compound to try to evacuate them. In response to the gas, the Branch Davidians shot back. Just after noon, the wooden compound caught on fire. While nine people escaped the fire, 75 perished by gunshot or by fire inside the compound. 25 that dead were children. I think this is an example of human rights and not human rights because the police tried to make the cult leave peacefully but they didn’t listen. Then I also think about how the people inside felt and that they probably thought they were not being treated humanely and that they shouldn’t have to abandon their home.
http://history1900s.about.com/od/1990s/qt/waco.htm



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