To The Reader’s Forum:

We can forget about gay rights, women’s rights, worker rights, gun rights, voter rights, and civil rights. This country has regressed so far backward under Tom Reed and Donald Trump that we are now trying to salvage human rights. Professor Philip Alston is the current United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights. He has initiated a four-state coast-to-coast tour to hold the United States to account for hardships endured by America’s most vulnerable citizens.

The Special Rapporteur is an independent expert appointed by the Human Rights Council who conducts research and analysis for presentation to the Council and the General Assembly by undertaking country visits and reporting on the situation in those countries related to the concerns of the United Nations mandate on extreme poverty and human rights. His charter includes identifying and reporting to governments and other relevant entities on situations where violations of human rights of people living in extreme poverty have taken place. His preliminary report will be released on December 15th.

It is telling that just as the Republican-controlled House, Senate and Executive branch are celebrating a tax reform bill that will cause harm to the most vulnerable and transfer billions of wealth to the top 1 percent, the United Nations is investigating us for allowing extreme poverty to worsen. Rather than leading the world in the promotion of human rights, because of the lack of leadership from Mr. Trump we are now being investigated for their denial.

Tom Meara

Jamestown