The Government and Human Rights

Admittedly, I do not know much about the technicalities and legalities surrounding human rights and governmental responsibility toward human rights. This class is my first experience formally studying the issue of human rights in any formal context. So, when the question is asked, why do governments think human rights don't matter,? I don't feel I can answer with any certainty. If I were to venture a guess, I would say that it is because of the emphasis governments often place on economic success and wealth rather than the emotional/mental success and health of their own people. If the government doesn't have a vested interest in the welfare of their people aside from considering them an economic asset, they are more likely to take less interest in human rights. I have mainly learned about human rights violatins in the context of different genocides. I remember watching the film, "Hotel Rwanda," and being shocked that the government would allow such attrocities to occur. By watching this movie, I learned that often times human rights violations occur as a result of the chaos and instability of governments. Perhaps this is a reason human rights aren't always at the top of a government's list: if the government is going through a period of instability, human rights might take a back seat. Even though I don't know much about this topic, I am very happy that this first blog post is dedicated to this issue. I look forward to reading my classmates posts to gain more insight on this topic. I love being exposed to new information, and I look forward to the challenge of understanding this issue further.