The Pros And Cons Of The Universal Declaration Of Human Rights

There is tremendous controversy in the international community over human rights. Undoubtedly, everyone believes in human rights to a degree, but there are some rights that divide the public view. Some human rights listed in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights are contentious due to the idea that they do not represent a large enough percentage of the people. In other words, some people believe that certain human rights implemented by the government are not supported enough by the people to warrant protection for it. Although it is hard to gauge which human rights people deem to be worthy of protection, some information can be found with the use of surveys and analytical research. The right to protection against torture and cruel and inhuman punishment,, and the right to social security, and the right to protection of minority culture are three highly controversial human rights issues under debate in the world.
Cruel and inhuman punishment, such as the death penalty for instance, is an example of human rights contentiousness. There are many people who believe that the death penalty is an outdated and regressive idea, which directly violates one’s right to life and fails to be successful in reducing crime. On the other hand, there are people who believe that the death penalty is supported “from a desire to lower the rate of crime.”(Tyler and Weber 22) People who agree with this view believe that the government should not preserve the citizens protection against torture and cruel and inhuman punishment. A survey of people in both Florida and Virginia resulted in a large percentage of people being in favor of the death penalty, with a correlation to its use as a deterrent for crime.(Tyler and Weber 23) Although many people see this right of protection as a crucial aspect of human rights, it does not garner the unanimous support of the