by Senator Ross Romero
Senate Minority Whip
Recently, I had the chance to visit with former Salt Lake City Mayor Rocky Anderson and discuss with him his organization High Road for Human Rights.
High Road for Human Rights organizes, supports, and mobilizes an extensive network of people to prevent and eliminate human rights abuses by (1) elevating awareness about human rights abuses and available solutions, and (2) taking unified actions to achieve changes that will enhance the protection of human rights.
Rocky elaborated on his organization’s five areas of focus, which include:
1. Genocide
2. Slavery
3. Climate Crisis
4. Death Penalty
5. Torture & Rule of Law
I was surprised a few days later to read an article published in the Deseret News Sunday, August 15, 2010, entitled “A Story of Modern Slavery in Utah.” The article written by Lee Davidson relates the story of several Thai workers who were recruited by a Los Angeles-based company for farm work in the United States. These workers were placed at two locations in Utah. In the article, they relate their harrowing stories of poor living and working conditions, misrepresented and violated compensation agreements, and prison-like confinement.
If you think such human rights atrocities occur elsewhere, you are wrong. I commend Rocky for his humanitarian work and believe we should all be active participants in these important human rights discussions. Perhaps you will consider supporting High Road for Human Rights, an organization centered here in Salt Lake City addressing local, national, and international acts of inhumanity.
