The Secretary of State Surrenders U.S. Sovereignty and Independence

There is much debate over the controversial contention that the United States, at its very core, is racist.  The contention by many on the Left, the media, and uninformed regular citizens is that America not only has racists among its citizens—but rather that America at its core is fundamentally/systemically racist.  The argument by Black Lives Matter, leaders in the 1619 Project, and proponents of Critical Race Theory is that America’s basic institutions—its legal system, educational entities, and American culture as a whole are fundamentally unfair and oppress people of color.  They argue that the very systems foundational to our way of life together are irredeemably racist.  Their contention opposes the counter-argument that, while America—like any country—has racists in it, America is not systemically racist.

The so-called proponents of anti-racism and fairness have pushed Americans into their racial corners. At a time when we need unity more than ever, we are being divided on the basis of skin color and ethnicity by people who claim they are against evaluating people on the basis of skin color and ethnicity. And just when we need our chief diplomat and official representative to the world, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, to promote the stand of our nation—which is, by far, the most inclusive and fair-minded nation on earth—on freedom and equality, he, instead, invites the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) to officially investigate the scourge of racism and injustice in America.  This council is a farce and cruel joke, as its membership includes Iran, Russia, Cuba, and China, among other nations that are notorious violators of basic human rights.  But Secretary Blinken believes we need to be held accountable by them.

Secretary Blinken’s request that the United States be investigated is an insult to every American.  It belies the fact that the United States is quite capable—and willing—to hold accountable anyone who promotes racist ideas and acts on them.  One need only point to the police officer who is in prison today after the killing of George Floyd last year.  We are one of only a few nations that will not tolerate hateful acts based on racial prejudice and that routinely investigates and prosecutes those who break the law and discriminate against people of color.  Further, Blinken’s request surrenders U.S. sovereignty and independence.  He invites nations with deplorable records on human rights to investigate the United States; that is both naïve and dangerous.

Last year our Chief Counsel Jay Sekulow and a team of ACLJ lawyers appeared before the International Criminal Court (ICC) when that body wanted to investigate and potentially charge U.S. soldiers with war crimes for their actions in Afghanistan.  The ICC—which has no jurisdiction over the United States—was formed to counter countries with no legal system and that are incapable and unwilling to take actions against those who violate international law.  There is a reason the U.S. is not a signatory to the Rome Statute which formed the ICC.  Will Secretary Blinken’s next misstep be to place U.S. citizens and service members under the jurisdiction of the ICC?  His invitation to the UNHRC is tantamount to the same thing.

China has over one million Muslims in re-education camps (prisons) for their ethnicity and religion.  Iran routinely imprisons innocent people on spurious charges.  Putin’s Russian secret police lock up political opponents and have attempted to kill others.  Cuba is undoubtedly the most racist nation in the Western Hemisphere, with black Cubans frequently denied basic rights and subjected to extreme discrimination in that island nation.  And Secretary Blinken wants these countries to have a free hand in investigating racism and injustice in the United States?  It would be laughable if it were not so very serious.

Racial discrimination is prohibited under U.S law.  There is a reason why racial minorities and persecuted people around the world want to flee to the United States.  Everyone understands that—well, apparently everyone except our Secretary of State and those on the Left in America.  Blinken’s invitation suggests that the United States has a human rights problem and he wants these truly oppressive regimes to investigate us?  It almost makes former President Obama’s “apology tour” seem downright patriotic!  Blinken’s invitation to the UNHRC is culture war diplomacy.

As former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, the ACLJ’s Senior Counsel for Global Affairs, wrote last week, “[T]here can be no moral equivalence between nations that work imperfectly to live up to the principles of their founding—such as the United States—and countries that regularly crush their citizens’ rights with impunity—such as China, Russia and Cuba.  Inviting representatives of a body which counts these autocracies as members to judge our commitment to human rights is a farcical political stunt that will weaken America’s standing in the eyes of the world.”

In April, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield characterized the U.S. Constitution as a White Supremacist document: “I have seen for myself how the original sin of slavery weaved white supremacy into our founding documents and principles.”  Now her boss, the Secretary of State, wants the United Nations Human Rights Council—a hypocritical farce on its best days—to investigate “the scourge of racism, racial discrimination and xenophobia” in the U.S.  This comes two months after Secretary Blinken posted a video calling on Americans to “face the realities of racism and hatred at home,” as a prerequisite for ever being a force for human rights internationally. This is a shameful betrayal of the United States and an insult to the vast majority of people here who truly strive to love their neighbors and to respect the dignity and worth of every human being.  It also diminishes the influence of the United States whenever and wherever we take a stand for people who are oppressed and persecuted—and try to assist them in their quest for freedom.

As those on the Left attack America and its founding principles, what is lacking in the discussion about our nation’s history and who we are today as a people is forgiveness and gratitude—to say nothing of humility: forgiveness for perceived wrongs and the human/cultural weaknesses of leaders who were products of their time and place in our history; gratitude for how far we have come in our nation and for the God-given privilege of living in the United States; and humility to admit that none of us have all the answers and to acknowledge that America is an exceptional place with unprecedented hope and opportunities for all people of all races, religions, and ethnicities.

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