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Missed the Gore speech (I was in training for my new tutoring job), but got home in time to catch former Pres. Carter's speech. I have to say, this was a tough speech. I was expecting something much less obviously political from him, but what do I know? One big quote from the speech in case you missed it:

"In repudiating extremism, we need to recommit ourselves to a few common sense principles that should transend partisan differences: First: We cannot enhance our own secuity if we place in jeapordy what is most prescious to us, namely the centrality to human rights in our daily lives and in global affairs. Second: we cannot maintain our historic self confidence as a people if we generate public panic. Third: We cannot do our duty as citizes and patriots if we pursue an agenda that polarizes or divides our counrty Next: We cannot be true to ourselves if we mistreat others. And finally, in the world at large, we cannot lead if our leaders mislead. You can't be a war President one day, and a peace President the next depending on the latest political polls. "

I can tell you right now what the reaction from the right is going to be "We're in a war on terror, and there he goes again talking about human rights. A perfect example of why the Democratic Party is not fit to lead in times like these." Fine, Let's talk about that.

When this nation was founded a world changing document was created, the Constitution of the United States. The founding fathers, people often held in higher esteem by those on the right than the left (after all, there are no "strict constructionists" that I know of who you could describe as "liberals"), considered the rights of individuals so central to what they were doing that they enshrined them not just in the Constitution but in the Bill of Rights as well. Among them, as I hope you all know, were things like the right to free speech, to free assembly, to freedom of religion, freedom from unreasonable intrusion by the government into our in our lives (unreasonable search and seizure, quatering of soldiers, etc.), the right to a fair, just, and timely trial, and others. We may take that for granted now, but at the time enshrining those rights explicitly in a document outlining the powers and responsibilities of a government was a radical step.

Now, when "human rights" activists talk about human rights, what do they mean? The rights to a free press, to an open and fair justice system, to freedom of religion and thought, and to freedom from unreasonable intrusion into their lives by government. In short, they mean the rights on which this country was founded:

"We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness."

As the 9/11 Commission so correctly pointed out, the "war" we're currently engaged in is not simply a military conflict. It is, at is core, an ideological one. When we do eventually win this "War on Terror", it will not ultimately be because we have a stronger military than our foe. It will be because we have stronger ideas, ideas that are their core are entirely about human rights. In the end, human rights are precisely what this conflict is about.
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