Join the human rights writing campaign

At a family gathering over Thanksgiving weekend, I reread a fun story about Uncle Francis and Aunt Shirley. Shirley, age 9, would sometimes help her older brother, age 12, with his paper route. But sometimes she would refuse to get up at 5 a.m. and instead call out “I’ve got my rights!” Apparently, that became a well know phrase in my mom’s family of nine children.

We do have a lot of rights as a human and as citizens of our country. Many of them are in controversy today. It is a worrisome time for many people on all sides of the issues. But on International Human Rights Day Dec. 10, I will step up and do something about the rights of all people everywhere. Under the United Nations, the worldwide community has agreed on what makes up our basic rights. There are 30 articles describing these rights in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which was adopted by the U.N. General Assembly on Dec. 10, 1948.

You can join me in my efforts at the Cedar Rapids Public Library on Tuesday, Dec. 7, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The library wisely requires masks and we will be socially distancing. Write a little or a lot. All materials and instructions will be furnished. This is the world’s largest human rights writing campaign!

I think we all feel that for our world to become more peaceful and free, we must find ways to work together.

Bruce R. Bachmann

Cedar Rapids