USA embroiled in allegations of religious bigotry, racial discrimination and election fraud.

Centre for Democracy, Pluralism and Human Rights, has come out with a startling report on human rights violations in United States of America. According to this report, in recent years, free speech rights and freedom of the press have been eroded and Internet  controls have been institutionalized. Voices are suppressed on social media, the academia,  as well as the print and broadcast media, and are forced to speak in one voice that matches  the opinion of the USA government officials, and as per the new policies to control the  internet, which have been put in place by intelligence officials, and masqueraded as  policies to advance the free-speech rights of the common people. In general, any opinion  that is not part of the approved ‘liberal’ discourse or the approved ‘conservative’ discourse  is branded as an ‘extremist’ position, and people with independent positions are hounded  out of the public space. 

Following are the other shocking highlights of the Report: 

1. RACIAL DISCRIMINATION: RACISM IS DEEPLY ENTRENCHED IN THE SYSTEM 

Structural Racism Built into the State Constitution Some of the provisions in the State  Constitution are racist and continue to date, like the Three-Fifths Clause which  violates the principle of equality, and the Fugitive Slave Clause which did not permit  people to escape slavery.  

Three-Fifths Clause (Native Indians, not to be numbered equally but three-fourths) 

“Representations and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several States  which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers,  which shall be adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to  Service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other  persons.” 

The 3rd Clause of the 4th Article of the USA Constitution authorizes the enslavers to seize  enslaved people: 

“No person held to Service or Labour in one State, under the Laws thereof, escaping into  another, shall, in Consequence of any Law or Regulation therein, be discharged from such  Service or Labour, but shall be delivered up on Claim of the Party to whom such Service or  Labour may be due.” 

The Constitutions of California and New York states too have racist provisions, which are meant to deny housing and disfranchise Native Americans respectively. 

Systemic Issues: Racism and Corruption in the Legal System and Judiciary 

The law enforcement agencies, legal system, and the judiciary have all built up a reputation for corruption and racism. 

In particular, a harsh law passed in 1994 was designed to ensure that Blacks would face a  cruel justice system and long prison terms which would, in turn, benefit the owners of private prisons. Blacks are given more severe punishment by judges for the same crimes. 

The composition of the judiciary is racist in nature. Most of the positions are filled by Whites and fewer Blacks, Asians, and Native Americans in proportion to their population. Even  Clerkships are not offered to Blacks easily. However, Blacks lead in the number of wrongful convictions. 

Racism is Institutionalized in Political Parties 

Both the parties have been hypocritical in their conviction to end racism and none of them framed a comprehensive policy to eradicate it. Leaders of both parties have made racist remarks at multiple occasions, venting out their ingrained racism. 

Lack of Representation of Minorities in Media and Academia