å Monday, February 6th, 2017

My name is Lenny Logrono and I’m 20 years old. I work at my brother’s girlfriend hair salon in Jersey City as an assistant. This is my first semester at City College and majoring in Early Childhood Education. I’m really nervous to be here because it’s a new environment, people, and school system for me. My goal for this semester is to increase my vocabulary and public speaking skills. I find it difficult for me to speak in front of people, specially when there is 50% chance of me being the only one with English accept. At side from school, my interest is to save up money to travel. I love going to different places and learning new cultures. Last year, I had the opportunity to go to the Dominican Republic, Bahamas, and Canada. This year I went to Colombia with my mom we had an amazing time over there. For me traveling means a lot, every time I go to another country it feels like a dream come true. I like making new friends, working, going to the movies, listening to music and spending time with my family. One of my most valuable possession (material stuff) is my two instax cameras I always take them with me when I’m traveling or doing something new. I rather have a hard copy of my photos than having it on my phone, sometimes I hate technology because it takes a lot from us.

The first chapter of this book was a little bit difficult for me to understand because I was not paying attention to the argument or what she was trying to say. The first time I read the chapter I had no clue of what I was reading, but the second time I understood the argument and everything she wrote. In Inventing Human Rights the author used different points of view and evidences to support her argument. After reading The Paradox of Self-Evidence, I finally understood what she was trying to tell the readers. The argument is that according to Thomas Jefferson equality is self-evident, but the real question is if they are so self-evident why did this allegation had to be made. In other words, if having human rights is self-explanatory why was it necessary to put into writing. In addition, Thomas Jefferson did not explain what he meant when he wrote all his beliefs, which made people question everything he wrote. People still argues and debates the terms he used when writing the Declaration of Independence.

Hello. I am Nicole Palma. This is my first semester at CWE after graduating from The Borough of Manhattan Community College in the summer of 2016. I hope to get my bachelors in two and a half years for the Center of Worker Education. My major is Early Childhood Education with a concentration in Childhood Studies. I was interested in this class because it was one of two hybrid classes that fit my schedule. I wanted to take a hybrid class because I have never taken an online course and I felt with this class being half on campus and half online, it would provide me with the perfect opportunity to try online course but no being fully enrolled in an online course only. Also with the current election of President Trump, I felt I needed to gain more knowledge on Women’s Rights but more importantly Human Rights.

This is a very exciting semester for me because not only am I taking classes that I am truly interested in but I am expecting my first child at the very end of the semester! I look forward to the both the journey of motherhood as well as the journey as a Center of Worker Education student that the year of twenty seventeen has in store for me. In closing to my self-introduction I would just like to congratulate my all time favorite sports team of all time The New England Patriots in winning the Superbowl!
In the beginning of the introduction to Lynn Hunt’s book Inventing Human Rights, she talks about Thomas Jefferson’s first draft of The Declaration of Independence, which was prepared in mid-June of the year 1776 that he made his own revisions that he made to the draft. Towards the middle of her the introduction Lynn Hunt “Human Rights and “The Rights of Man”” she referred to the term “natural rights” which was more commonly known as now as human rights. I found it interesting that all though Thomas Jefferson spoke of and used the term “Rights of Man”, it did not become “commonly used” and/or gain significant meaning until Jean-Jacques Rousseau used the term in his Social Contract along other “rights terms”, such as “Rights of Sovereignty”, “Rights of Humanity” and “Rights of the Citizen”. Jean- Jacques Rousseau Social Contract was a book of theories he created on the best way to make a “Political community” function.  “How Rights Become Self Evident”.

Hi, my name is Edna Archundia this is my first semester at City College. My major is Early Childhood and my concentration is Social Welfare. I have two kids, my daughter is 15 years old and my son 11 years old. When my son went to school and I stay home alone is when I start to work. Sometimes, society make us think that women have to stay home and just take care of the house and kids. I was thinking like that, but as my kids grew older, I notice that I have to do more than just stay home. After ten years with out studying I decided to go back to school, I was scared to go back and not be able to continue my education, specially because my first language is spanish. I complete my associate at La Guardia Community College and after four years I graduated. Now Im ready for new challenges and ready to finish my Bachelors. Im exited to learn more about the humans rights and the history of how the human rights were created and what are those change during this years.

Lynn Hunts describe the story by focusing on the American and French Revolution and the Declaration they inspired, she brings distinctly historical and another pout of view to the subject of the human rights. She also mention how men were living in society,by building slavery, subordination and their weekness by those who were on power.

She also mention why 18th century  Western Europe was the first society in history to develop the concept of “human rights” that was their idea of political and other rights the results were the indignation at such social institution as judicial torture. It is sad how men can change the world and make a difference depending on their thinking and the power they have. This is how society is build were the people who has power can make cruelty and brutality just with their idea of been superior. We are in the Twenty Century where supposedly every individual are equal, but if we search in society there are still a lot of slavery or  women been maltreat or people been inferior because they are poor.

Good evening to all, I would like to introduce myself as Bryant Romano. I am a proud father of two beautiful children. An educator at a public middle school in Harlem whose main duties of the day consist of supporting children with special needs to overcome the challenges that they may encounter, academically, physically, socially and emotionally. This is my second continuous semester from a long break, at which such time off from academia, resulted in the achievement of my wife earning her Bachelor’s degree at City College Center for Workers Education. The main interest in taking this course has to do with fulfilling part of the electives in the academic concentration of History, Politics and Society. It was also a matter of choosing between this course or another. I’ve also taken this course as a fulfillment of knowledge that would cover the different aspects of rights that I’ve learned about. I’ve encountered the many mentioned involvements of female organizations that have supported other organizations in their goals, but never had the chance of analyzing them as a central point.

One of the legal documents of which captivated a groundwork for human rights in the present day, is of an over two-hundred-year old document known as the Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen. The author Lynn Hunt, mentions in her introductory book of Inventing Human Rights, it’s valued startup debate of generalized expressions of thought. The document sounds that to have a government well founded, it must be enlightened, of having a basic understanding with society, and solemn in respecting the rights of man. (Hunt 16). Not only does it have to be fixated for the benefit of “man” as of its definition of gender, but to the humanistic angle of all types of mankind. As in present day some governments have and are working to include “every society”, from all types of races, genders, religions and socio-economical statuses. Yet, the idea of allowing such rights to be allowed or given, emerged in the past a concern of weather it would bring a more logical understanding to the population or create a disturbance in the traditional ways, moreover creating divisions. Nowadays, such points of views in division have appeared even after composing human rights for groups. Such issues even if they are “self-evident” in the basis of suffering, still need to be emphasized in volume. Such is the case of social media being that tool of which many rely on to gain information. Yet, when there is the lack of understanding the obvious, that of which is processed by the human brain as a fact, that participant lack empathy (Hunt 28). If such pair would not go side by side, which is our humanistic sense of brand of being human, then torture would not be eliminated for those who have endured in the past.

Hello class, I am Paola Maldonado, and this is m first semester at CWE. I am currently majoring in Early Childhood Education, and as an aspiring teacher I think it is really important to have a lot of knowledge about Human Rights, so we can be able to talk about it to whoever have doubts or fears because they do not know their rights and therefore are unable to defend or speak up for themselves. In reading the history of Human Rights women were portrayed lessen than men. In fact, women were to act according to the convenience of the state and government. Women weren’t free, whereas men were in charge of everything. However time has passed and society has become racionalized. Overall  through women’s fights and movements we have advanced and accomplished goals that back then were unreachable for women. I still do not understand why before and even nowadays women are not treated equally as men. Why do we still hear that so called “weak gender” for women and the glass ceiling in the twenty-first century. I took this course because I want to find these answers, get educated and be able to transmit my knowledge to help others.

The history of Human Rights helps us have an idea of how society back then came to realize that we are all human beings and therefore The Declaration of Human Rights applies to all living people. However it took decades for people to respect this Declaration due to the morality and discriminating ideas of the precursors. First at all, the articles of Declaration of Human Rights went through a lot of changes because of the terminology; “men,” “man,” “every man,” “all men,” “all citizen,” “society.” I wonder if any of these terms included women as well.  Not surprisingly these rights were only applicable for men; women, children, and propertyless people were excluded because they were not capable of moral autonomy. In the eighteen century when Human Rights became self evident, thanks to philosophers such as Montesquieu, Voltaire and others, who had contributed for the morality of the society to take a big step forward when realizing that torture was just unacceptable, people began to feel a sense of empathy when recognizing individuals as human beings like any other. Eventually, abolition of corporal punishment was written as a article in the human rights. Nowadays, the doctrine of self true, knowing what is right or wrong is clear for most of the people. However, for some people this might not be truly clear since even though few cases of police brutality have happened lately, for me still it is considered corporal punishment. It was widely known the deaths of some American citizens at the hands of police abusing of their physical strengths and as a result killing innocent people, instead of going by the laws. Violence does not seem to go away definitely even though there is laws protecting people. Personally, I think society or some people  true self and becoming reasonable.

My name is Amber Taylor this is my third semester here at CWE.  My concentration is in childhood studies and I will be graduating in the spring of 2018.  I currently am a lead teacher teaching three year olds everything that they need to know to be successful emotionally, physically, and academically.  I enjoy my job because it gives me an insight look of what it’s like to run your own classroom.  I always knew that I would either be working with children or either animals.  Children and animals are two of the things in life that I have a passion for.  I grew up around dogs in the island of Trinidad and Tobago.  Even though I am an American, I was raised in Trinidad for four years, from the age of three to seven.  If I wasn’t working with children a veterinarian would have been my second option.  My interest for this class is to learn more about the rights of woman and what can we do as a society to make things more justified for us females in society.

Human rights should be rights that are inherent to all human beings disregarding your nationality, the place of your residence, your sex, ethnic origin, color and religion. In 1789, article one of the Declaration of the rights of man and citizen proclaimed, “Men are born and remain free and equal in rights.”  Thinking about this statement in relation for human rights today puts in a lot of question. Back in 2015 two athletes were convicted in two different sexual assault cases.  The outcomes were different and a lot of people believe that those outcomes have to do with race.

Brock turner who was a former Stanford swimmer received a six month sentence for sexually assaulting a female behind a dumpster; he is a white twenty year old man.  In another sexual assault football player Brian Banks was accused of rape at the age of sixteen years old, but he was tried as an adult, and received more than five years in prison.  He also got another five years on parole for being a sex offender.  All of Brian’s accomplishments in school were as well taken from him; Brian Banks was a black sixteen year old young man. Relating back to human rights today, article one of the declaration of rights of man stated that “ men are born and remain free and equal in rights” but as you can see those rights does not apply to just any man in our time today.  The white man has more privilege in the justice system than a black man do.

My name is Mariela Eduardo. This is my second Semester is CWE. My major is Early Childhood with co concentration with History politics and law. I am currently work fulltime as Director of First Bloom Day Care. I have great passion for my profession and have many plans to expansion. I believe with education, determination and hard work anything is possible. I a world run by masculinity a woman in power has many barriers to overcome and by getting the proper education and hard work she will be able to climb the escalator of success. My parents come from Dominican Republic, my mother is an accountant and my father barely reached 5th grade due to economic reason. Upon travel to US, my mother could no longer pursue her career as an accountant and had to settle for Home attendant and my father became a chef. They showed me that hard work and determination is the key to success and with education I will have more opportunity to succeed. In taking this class I hope to get a deeper understanding of Woman Right as Human Right to which will help me in my career and help other woman progress in life.

In the introduction of her book, Inventing Human Rights by Lynn Hunt (2007) she draws attention to works that were prosecutors to the Universal Declaration for Human Rights which were adopted by the United Nations in 1948. Thomas Jefferson made evident natural human rights in an official document creating an enigma and The French revolution Declaration of the rights of man and citizen states that all men are born with equal rights.

The Declaration of the rights of man and citizen drafted in 1789, states all men are born with equal rights, declaring no priest, king or noble is better than any other man. Also in The Declaration of independence in 1776 when first drafted by Thomas Jefferson went sentence restructures by interchanging “sacred and undeniable” with “self-evident”. This word is controversial to Mrs. Hunt because something so evident as human rights should not have to be part of a document. In current time, we face the problem that all men are born equal no matter sex, religion, cultural background and immigration status. We should not be separated or questioned of our basic human rights of peace and equality.

I, Ethel Reed, am an African American Women who works overnight in the Emergency Room.  I supervisor over 10 workers and I enjoy working.  I started out working in the hospital as a clerical worker. Thereafter I moved to their Admitting Department doing Death Certificates and Birth Registry. Then I moved up to supervisor Bed Board the nucleus of the Hospital System. My husband and my son are my gifts from God. I am particularly proud of my son who just graduated with his Bachelors of Science in Accounting. I am a senior at City College Center of Worker Education and its difficulty to leave. I love CWE.  Women’s Rights as Human Rights I believe are intriguing facts about Women: I will learn much about myself.  Other than learning my family history and Black history, Women’s history is another way to learn about me.  I believe in Human Rights for all individuals however I recognize Women rights at my job are disproportionately unfair.  I could have never imagined how I was drawn into the perceptions assigned to women. And I never challenged the stereotypes I confronted. I am looking forward to learning in this class.

Introduction:  “We hold these truths to be self-evident”

The Declaration of Independence was written with the universal assumption that White Elite men were the only human beings entitled to equal rights, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. And universally this was displayed in their attitudes and behavior. The United States Aristocratic men fought Great Britain to become an independent country, autonomy. Thomas Jefferson had written a declaration which failed to give a voice or representation to Women, Blacks, and poor White men. Although the Declaration was continuously revised to provide a better understanding of a Human Being’s Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness, the Framers of this declaration were from a particular class and gender. They were unable to understand any grievance from Blacks, Women and poor White men. Of course, Aristocratic White men were unable to have a discussion about why Blacks were unable to obtain Equal Rights during their Life, and unable to obtain Liberty and unable to obtain the Pursuit of Happiness. A conversation about Blacks inclusive in the Declaration of Independence was to threatening. During the time when the doctrine was written: unlimited power was given to Whites and most Blacks were enslaved or tortured.  So how could White men who owned slaves have any concern about their autonomy? They were unable to discuss the complicated issues of Blacks subordination. Thomas Jefferson and the Framers who helped with the revision of the declaration overtly acknowledged that Aristocratic White men received a better way of life. They owned property (Black human beings) and at the same time they declared, “All Human Beings are Equal. Autonomy did not include Blacks. A racial caste system existed. In the same way, Women traveled painful paths of discrimination. Women were automatically   assigned to domestic work they were not viewed as fellow citizens. Women were unable to escape the crucial role they played in the household.  This sexual caste system was in direct opposition to the written doctrine that; All Human Beings were Created Equal with Life Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness. In a similar situation, White men who visibly looked the same without any property were not accepted. The constraints and limitations forced upon Blacks, Women and poor White men dictated their fate in many ways.

Still today, an institutionalized non written system has been drawn into some work places. An urgency to promote men prior to women occurs often. In some cases, women are paid considerably less than Men, although they may perform the same job. Notions about women during child bearing years may or may not dictate when she is promoted. Then in other situations, often men are only hired as a firefighter. Mostly men are hired to work within the Con Edison manholes. Women are hired to work within the office. Discrimination happens within the work place on multiple levels.  The constraints and limitations are parallel to many biases in the past.

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Hello everyone! My name is Tyesha Marius and I’m a psychology major. My goal Is to become a school psychologist in a special needs school. I’m interested in learning about women’s rights and issues because I would like to become more aware of issues that concern me. The rights of women are an ever changing thing and I would like to learn more about the changes. I’m particularly not a fan of these changes being dominated by males, but that’s another story.

In the introduction to Lynn Hunt’s “Inventing Human Rights”, Hunt highlights some key documents in history that were used in formulating the human rights we have today. She begins with the Declaration of Independence and how its inclusions of human rights seemingly didn’t apply to all humans. It left out slaves, people without property, some religious minorities, freed blacks, and women. I liked the fact that she said “human rights required three interlocking qualities” (p.20): it must be universal, equal and natural. She continues to say human rights are only valid in a political setting or a society. Which I would have to agree with.

​Next, she discussed what “ human rights” meant to the French and English in the 18th century, before the Declaration of Independence. I seemed to have too general a use. They were trying to figure out what this phrase would mean outside of political use. To some French Catholic priests this meant running around naked, being in touch with nature as close as possible. Various terms such as “rights of man”, “rights of humanity” and “natural rights” seemingly floated around in plays by Rousseau and other intelligent works. ​

​Then, she continues to discuss how human rights became self evident in the eighteenth century. A contemporary moral philosopher has shed some light on self evidence. He claimed that normal people are able to able to equally self-govern. But, in that era, not many were considered to have the capacity to self-govern. Children, servants, slaves, the insane, the property-less and actually women lacked the independence to be deemed morally autonomous. Women were only identifiable by their fathers or husbands.

​Furthermore she brings forth the work of political scientist Benedict Anderson, who thinks that there is a “imagined empathy” (pg.32) that is the foundation of human rights over nationalism. Emerging experiences and awareness of self at that time were changing the basis of what was to be the rights of man.

Hello!! My name is Jessica Doiley. I’m 22 years old and I am a teacher for a two-year-old classroom at a daycare in the Bronx. I enjoy reading books and learning new things. As a female I feel that I shouldn’t be told what to do with my body, nor should I be told what to do in general. I’ve recently been a part of the women’s march with my sister and there were a lot of other women who believe the same things as I do. In this class I hope to learn things beyond what I already knew. I want to be engrossed in whatever I read in class. I feel that with whatever is going on in the government, this class will be important to be a part of.

From what I got out of the reading was that those who declared rights didn’t really declare rights for everyone. Individuals such as children, those who are mentally disabled, foreigners, and those who didn’t have property were excluded also. Slaves and freed black people were excluded from having individual rights, women and those who are a part of a certain religious group were excluded. Women are always excluded from things when it comes to the government. How this is similar to modern day human rights is that our new president Donald Trump not only belittles women, but is trying to ban some of our human rights. Not just women’s rights but everyone’s rights. He’s banned Muslims from traveling, and he also wants to send immigrants (children and adults) back to their country. He also wants to take money from the Mexicans to build a wall around Mexico. He’s even spoken about invading Mexico. I agree with what the author says about human rights and how they require three interlocking qualities which are 1. Rights must be natural 2. Rights must be equal and 3. Rights must be universal. “For rights to be human rights, all humans everywhere in the world must possess them equally them equally and only because of their status as human beings.” I feel that the quote was self-explanatory and I agree with it. Yes, in order for someone to have human rights it must be universal, it must be equal, and it must be natural meaning that in my opinion, rights belong to everyone from the rich all the way down to the poor. If someone of the higher power is going to say that everyone is equal ten it must be proven and it must be for EVERYONE.