Enough Human Rights Abuses to Go Around

Re “Mexico Detours on Rights,” editorial, Aug. 23: While Mexico needs to curb human rights abuses, where are the editorials criticizing shameful U.S. human rights abuses such as the death penalty, the three-strikes law and life prison terms without parole, none of which Mexico practices and all of which have been criticized by international human rights groups? When Mexico tries to protect its nationals from these practices, critics rail that it is interfering in the U.S. “rule of law.”

To criticize Mexico for firing a female human rights deputy and not being aggressive enough in investigating killings of women, yet failing to mention areas in which Mexican human rights policy sets a shining example, seemed sanctimonious and chauvinistic. I would like to see editorials focused on a wide human rights agenda, not just on abuses that affect women. If there were more than a handful of women on death row or in prison for life, would there be more editorials criticizing such U.S. abuses? We should get our own house in order before criticizing others.

Elaine Halleck

Vista