Haven't we had enough of these human rights?

Article originally posted in Icelandic to Vísir 29.03.26 at 22:31.
By Olga Margrét Cilia.

I would like to start by thanking XD and XM for putting human rights on the agenda for the election campaign in the city. I would especially like to thank Brynjar Níelsson and Jón Gunnarsson for reminding everybody that it is Píratar who have spoken the most for human rights in the city. We have not been silent there.

Human rights must be the basis in all government decision-making. Human rights ensure that every individual enjoys a minimum level of protection from abuse of power and are a prerequisite for the rule of law and democracy. Human rights are not a one-size-fits-all and it is absurd to talk about going too far in protecting rights. As soon as the human rights of one group of people begin to be reduced, others will follow. The role of the government is not to restrict the freedom of citizens but to protect it.

The human rights policy of the City of Reykjavík is based primarily on equality and the prohibition of discrimination. These are not unnecessary policy issues. It is about each and every individual being able to live their life on their own terms. This does not mean that one group is taking something from other groups, but rather that all individuals are equal and have an equal right to live their own lives.

If we look at the United States, as Miðflokkur has been doing in recent years, various rights have been weakened or “rolled back”. An example are abortion rights, which are no longer protected nationwide in the United States, and as a result, many states have imposed very strict restrictions or bans on abortion. This has had extremely serious and life-threatening consequences for people who become pregnant and for some reason, medical or social, want to terminate the pregnancy but cannot because their rights to control their own lives and bodies have been reduced.

Let's also talk about the people who make Miðflokkur cry with rage. The Human Rights Policy of the City of Reykjavík states that it is not permitted to discriminate against people based on their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or gender characteristics. The fact that people want to be allowed to exist on their own terms and enjoy protection in a society we ALL live in drives some people completely mad. In the United States, the protection of the rights of trans people has been reduced in recent years. Rights that had been fought for are taken away with a stroke of the pen, and at the same time, prejudice, hate speech and hate crimes are increasing. It becomes dangerous to be a trans person in a world where those in power reduce rights and publicly belittle the lives of a certain group. This should never be tolerated!

When a society starts to marginalize one group it doesn’t take long for the next group to be up. The City of Reykjavík’s human rights policy also guarantees protection on the grounds of age, disability, health and physical ability, body type, religion, life and political views and atheism, origin and nationality, and recognizes the right of every person to live in a healthy environment and to live in peace and security. When one speaks against the human rights of one group, one speaks against the human rights of all.

Human rights are not optional, and when human rights are reduced, problems are not being solved, but rather power is being transferred from individuals to those in power. Justifying the reduction of human rights with short-term considerations such as saving money is dangerously short-sighted. It is dangerous to speak out against human rights, and it is even more dangerous if the rest of us sit back and do nothing.

There can never be enough human rights. We just want more and more.

Find the original here: https://www.visir.is/g/20262862813d/er-ekki-komid-nog-af-thessum-mannrettindum-