Obama on Human Rights

He has vowed to close Guantanamo, and he has promised to end the U.S. policy of torture. But for now, the President-Elect has made no comment on the possible investigation of human rights violations during the War on Terror. Granted, this is a tricky issue. On one hand, it would be inefficient and emotionally troubling to dig up all the war crimes committed in the past eight years. As difficult as it seems, maybe we should just move on. However, is it possible to rebuild our global image of hope and justice without punishing those responsible for these atrocities? Can we legitimately pursue international human rights when back home we walked away from the tragedy of water boarding or Guantanamo? The line President-Elect Obama must walk is thin, and slippery slopes lay on both sides. Instead of turning a war crimes prosecution into political revenge or letting human rights abusers simply walk off stage, Obama should set up a panel to investigate the abuses and display the facts to the public. Depending on the public’s reaction, the name of the game will either be prosecution or pardon. This major human rights issue should not be allowed to fade until we say so.