Only three nations have voted against a UN resolution that called to combat the glorification of Nazism, Neo-Nazism and other practices that contribute to fueling contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance. One of those nations that opposed the resolution is United States, Newsweek reports.
U.N. Human rights Committee approved the resolution last week and 131 countries voted in favor, 48 countries abstained from voting and only three countries voted against. Besides the United States, the other two countries that voted against the condemnation were Ukraine and Palau. The reason why Washington decided to reject the resolution is apparently because it is not expansive enough and could possibly lead to limitations of freedom of speech.
“We condemn without reservation all forms of religious and ethnic intolerance or hatred at home and around the world. However, due to this resolution’s overly narrow scope and politicized nature, and because it calls for unacceptable limits on the fundamental freedom of expression, the United States cannot support it,” Deputy U.S. Representative to the Economic and Social Council Stefanie Amadeo said while explaining why the U.S. opposed the resolution.
The resolution is not legally biding, but it show that the U.S. continues to defend the free speech. The resolution follows President Donald Trump’s unstable history on condemning Nazis and white supremacists starting from the defending of Confederate statues to the Unite the Right Rally in Charlottesville. Trump defended the right to protest the removal of Robert E. Lee in Charlottesvile and defended the free speech.
“I’ve condemned neo-Nazis. I’ve condemned many different groups. Not all of those people were neo-Nazis, believe me. Not all of those people were white supremacists by any stretch,” he said.
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