One would think that Harvard Law School-educated Navanethem “Navi” Pillay, a South African jurist and current United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights would have better things to do than get involved in the affairs of a democracy like the United States. Yet Pillay, who has served as a judge on the International Criminal Court and as the president of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, has made the same mistake many others have made: she has weighed in on the tragedy surrounding the shooting death of Trayvon Martin in Sanford, Florida.
The public, including Ms. Pillay, does not have the facts on the Martin case. Sadly, that has not stopped many pundits and activists from commenting, likely to the detriment of the investigation.
But Pillay should know better. On a recent three-day swing through Barbados—not exactly known as a hotbed of human rights violations—Pillay took time to condemn the shooting of Martin and demand action:
“As High Commissioner for Human Rights, I call for an immediate investigation.”
Perhaps Barbados does not carry U.S. news or have Internet access, because Pillay must not have heard that local authorities, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, and the Department of Justice are all conducting investigations into the shooting.
No matter, since Pillay seems content to skip the investigation and trial, and go straight to the punishment phase of the proceeding:
“The law should operate equally in respect of all violations. So, like every other situation such as this, we will be urging an investigation, and prosecution and trial – and of course reparation for the victims concerned.”
The problem is that there can be no “reparation for the victims” unless and until a conviction has been attained against Zimmerman. While the shooter, George Zimmerman, was charged with second-degree murder last night, in the United States a defendant continues to be presumed innocent until proven guilty.
The United States is a democracy where the rule of law is respected, not a backward nation run by despots. Doesn’t the U.N. High Commissioner on Human Rights have actual violations of human rights around the world to address? Maybe in Cuba, laughably a member of the U.N.’s Human Rights Council? From Barbados she wouldn’t have needed to look very far. Perhaps it was a slow news day in Barbados.
Pillay’s rash intervention into a controversial and volatile issue such as this speaks volumes about the careless attitude often displayed by U.N. officials. More troubling is Pillay’s seeming lack of knowledge (or perhaps respect for) such basic concepts as due process and the presumption of innocence. Is this the type of justice that Pillay was accustomed to at the international level when she served as a judge on the International Criminal Court?
Pillay’s irresponsible and uninformed outburst provides additional evidence, as if any were needed, why the United States should not expose itself to criminal proceedings at the International Criminal Court. After all, with jurists like Pillay in charge, would American service personnel and military leaders stand much of a chance of receiving a fair trial?
AS unfortunate as it is this is ONE INCIDENT! Everybody is reading all kinds of personal ignorance that weaken the minds toward violent rage! This wouldn't have sounded international attention if "race" wasn't instantaneously provoked by some and those who call themselves "Reverend" in front of their media exposure when "race" shouldn't have been suggested in the immediate place. It was the acts between two people! Those in government work at this point are over paid beyond their worth causing damage and building hatred! We can't have these types that spew without facts in position of authority! Please remove her based on self ignorance and failure "as a professional?" of her duty!
We need to start standing up to the UN…. did you know these creeps are running our schools now?
http://www.mvsd-ib.org
When the economy is bad, leaders need a scapegoat; even an imaginary one will do.
Interesting. It's none of this meddling UN commie's business… so flake off loser!
There are far more heinous crimes committed by the U.N. and they want to focus on this? Why are we funding the U.N.? Someone remind me….
If Zimmerman is found not guilty, doesn't that mean the court is finding him the victim? Perhaps Pillay is saying that, in this case, Zimmerman should be compensated? (I'm betting, no.)
Ms. Pillay needs to learn what the acronym MYOB Means. Also, she has a great big log in her eye that needs removing.
Hooray…. now we're getting some place. Let's just get rid of the incompetent and inept court systems, the sleazy and greedy lawyers, the pudgy, fudgy judges who don't care anyway and sleep through the trials. Think about it, we can cut the extremely high costs of running an antiquated and tainted legal system that clearly doesn't work anymore. The press, that's the answer! They're wonderful, intelligent, marvelous and very fair people who have their hands on the pulse and can make fast decisions. They're certainly in a position to be detective, accuser, judge and jury. They get all of the necessary and pertinent details, quickly… mostly minutes. Not days, weeks, months or years. They ain't got no time to waste.They can make decisions… then tell us what it is they've decided. Poof, it's gone… over…done! Take us out of the picture. That's a worry we no longer need to worry about. Who needs it anyway? It'll be quick, entertaining, and most of all…cheap! Screw justice, fairness and rights. You ain't got those things anymore anyway. Anybody out there know anyone smarter than a reporter?
A politican!
that would the the politician's attorney!!!!!
"Give 'em a fairv trial and hang 'em" is supposed to be from the American Wild West. Didn't South Africa settle its dispute with "reconciliation"? What this demonstrates with exceptional clarity is that you CANNOT trust something as basic as "justice" to a liberal. There is no absolute for anything.
Oh, by the way, the last time I checked, we were still a sovereign nation, or did our prersident Executive Order THAT away?
It is about time the US suggest the removal of the United Nations to rotating it to ANOTHER Country for a ten Year Term then on to another Country after that term.. The UN has conferences on Climate Change in other Countries. So what is wrong with moving the UN so other countries will not feel like they are left out.
Almost from day one the entire media has presented photos of Trayvon as the 12 year oil child with his Tiger Woods like charming smile. In actuality, Trayvon was over 6' tall and weighted over 200 lbs with gold teeth and tats. With the entire national media and black leadership distorting and deceiving the American public with "irresponible and uninformed outburst" how can we expect any member of the communist inspired U.N. not to react and hang Zimmerman before justice can be served
Mr. Groves, you facilitate the kind of transnationalism you discuss in your article. The United States is not, and has never been, a democracy. It is a Constitutional Republic. A democracy is a political vehicle leading in the opposite direction of how our country was designed to be. Until you learn the difference, no amount of complaining about the U.N. will ever gain momentum toward a change.
Very good comment, Mr. Gehring. If everyone understood the difference between a republic and a democracy voters could make better decisions.
The UN really needs to pound some sand, and stay out of our soverign business, and the media needs to stop feeding the event more BS then it deserves.. The event is purely political, and calculated in an election year to devide the country (aka – Chicago politics). The Administration cherry pics like a third world dictator who to single out and propagandize. America is better then what we have become under this administration, and the UN is a mouthpiece for those who want to tear down the greatness of this country. For all of George Bush's shortcommings he at least put the UN in their place, rather then bending over as this president has done.
While this is a tragic situation, and no one wants a young man dead, what will happen if Zimmerman is found not guilty under the stand your ground law.
It will then be up to us to protect him from the criminal elements of our society, by any means necessary!!!
Let's just cut to the chase about this whole Zimmerman episode–if his name were "Jorge Martinez" none of this would ever even have made the news. But since he doesn't have a "Hispanic" name and doesn't look typically "Hispanic" it's safe to go after him.
I despise everything about the U.N. We should stop contributing/funding/participating in their charades. The UN is comprised of terrorists, imbeciles, and clueless fools – hey, maybe that's why our senate/congress fit in so well? But seriously, the UN is even worse than the morons we have in our congress/senate.
This dumb broad's two cents about Zimmerman is as worthless as Obama's or our liberal media.
Every time a hot new topic comes up in the news, it is apparent that most people are complete morons. Who invented the term "white hispanic" btw? Liberal media. So I say they should be forced to use the term "white African American" to describe Obama from now on. Obama is just as "white" as Zimmerman, as they both had one white parent.
I disagree! The United States is not a Democracy. It is a Constitutional Republic.
Reb
I'm no UN conspiracy theorist but maybe the UN, which is beginning to look more and more impotent, like its
predecessor, the League of Nations, should mind its own business. There are more important things for it to do
like putting the people who commit crimes against humanity on trial for war crimes.
Number 1, this article is flawed! The U.S. is NOT a democracy!
It IS a Constitutionally Based REPUBLIC, whose officials USED to respect our laws until it was TAKEN OVER by the DESPOTS & TYRANTS that infest our Nation now! Get your facts straight!!!
Also, why do We, The People continue to allow foreign enemy operatives to attend our university's for the sole purpose of using that education to willfully & deliberately engage in the destruction of our Constitutionally Based Republic???!!!
DEMAND your Senator's & representatives to immediately EXPELL the U.N., and ALL of it's enemy operatives, from U.S. soil and never participate in this criminal organization again!!!
UN GET OUT OF THE USA NOW, OR ELSE!!!
WE THE PEOPLE must get serious about getting America out of the UN and the UN out of America. Let 2012 elections be real beginning TAKE BACK / RESTORE America. Character, calibre and qualifications for office must be guiding rule in selecting a representative. Vetting must be thorough and intensive: Do he/she belong now or ever did belong to a subversive organization (Allen West was right, about 50% of current corrupt anti-American Congress belong to communist/subversive organizations; Laws must be applied evenly- NO ONE IS ABOVE THE LAW. Obama, Holder, Clinton and Panetta need to be impeached; C.A.I.R. should be relocated from Washington, DC to GITMO! GOP Establishment/ R.I.N.O. who ignored WE THE PEOPLE by making Mitt Romney the presumptive presidential candidate, should be retired. We need a Conservative Party of our choosing. Their victory should be pyrrihic! Keep the faith and the conversation going!
This is a ploy by the UN. They will make this about gun control. Remember they have the small arms treaty that they want to pass.
This shooting case of Trayvon Martin is just the camel's nose into the tent. They really don't care about young Mr. Martin. I feel that Mr. George Zimmerman has been victimized, are they going to get reparations for him? I think not.
What is it with these over the hill, ugly, fat ladies (the oh so High commissioner, and the overcharging special prosecutor) trying to milk the Treyvon shooting for their own self-aggrandizement and publicity seeking?
As other commentators have said, now is not the time and this is not the place for people to spout their own demented, baseless, uninformed opinions. Reparations for victims indeed. It is just as likely at this point that not Trayvon, but George Zimmerman is the victim here.
Where does George Zimmerman go to get his reputation and life back? After the onslaught of the entire left lib idiot press and media, plus the tax dodging Al Sharpton, the womanizing Jesse Jackson, and worst of all the inciting to murder bounty offered by the New Black Panther Party.
All these should be prosecuted for incitement to violence. Disgusting behavior by the megalomaniac egomaniac narcissist Obama as well. Looks like his son would have looked? Indeed. Go eat some dog, Mr. President, your time would be better spent doing that.