August 26
USA:
Amnesty International Welcomes Pro-Human Rights Resolutions Adopted By
Blacks In Government Calling for Suspending TASER Use, Abolishing the
Death Penalty, Ending Racial Profiling, and Taking Action in Sudan
Today Amnesty International USA (AIUSA) announced that Blacks in
Government (BIG) has passed several pro-human rights resolutions, which
included calling for the suspended use of TASERs pending a rigorous
medical investigation, abolishing the death penalty and ending racial
profiling. BIG's national delegates, who represent 10,000 African
Americans employed by federal, state and local governments, made a special
effort to address human rights issues during its 27th annual meeting held
in Orlando, FL. AIUSA Board Member and BIG national First Vice President
Matthew Fogg spearheaded the effort by introducing 6 resolutions that the
delegates adopted.
"By passing these resolutions, BIG declared its belief that human rights
principles should be at the cornerstone of every government policy," said
Fogg.
"Now that Amnesty International and BIG are united in achieving these
goals, the call to stop inhumane, degrading practices inside U.S. borders
will be harder to ignore."
The BIG resolutions, which all passed unanimously, also included calls to
revise the U.S. Patriot Act and improve the human rights crisis in Sudan.
"BIG is proud to align its objectives with an organization like Amnesty
International USA, an ally in the fight for domestic human rights and
equal opportunity," said Darlene Young, National President of Blacks in
Government.
"Now, our more than 10,000 members will join Amnesty International's calls
for an end to racial profiling, the death penalty and a number of other
inhumane practices that erode our country's respect for equality,
diversity, and human rights standards."
Citing concerns about the growing number of deaths following TASER use and
the potential for the electro-shock weapons to be abused, BIG passed a
resolution supporting Amnesty International's call to suspend the use of
TASERs pending a comprehensive, impartial medical inquiry.
In BIG's resolution addressing capital punishment, the organization joined
Amnesty International in calling for an immediate moratorium on the
practice, which it called "cruel and racially biased." On Monday, August
22, BIG and Amnesty International met with Maryland State's Attorney Glenn
Ivey and Maryland Citizens Against State Executions to discuss their
concerns about the death penalty.
Amnesty International also welcomes the passage of BIG's resolution
calling for extensive revision to the Patriot Act. BIG is concerned about
the erosion of civil liberties and unchecked government power codified by
this legislation.
BIG delegates found information about the highly pervasive nature of
racial profiling, documented in a September 2004 AIUSA report, extremely
compelling.
Based on the report's findings and other statistics, BIG delegates passed
a resolution that calls for an end to this practice.
In response to the human rights catastrophe in Sudan, BIG passed a
resolution stating that the "United States should divest its public
pension funds from U.S. companies and from foreign companies doing
business in and with the government of Sudan." As of September 2004, at
least 2.2. million people had been affected by violence in Sudan; 50,000
had died; 1.4 million had been displaced and thousands of women had been
raped.
BIG is a national organization that was founded in 1975.
(source: US Newswire, Aug. 24)
