By amendment we have added only one economic right, the abolition of slavery. Social rights are not addressed at all. From our beginnings, these flaws cried out to be addressed and at every turn activists rose to address them. For every grave injustice activists cried out, protested, marched, faced dogs and tear gas whenever necessary to win the struggle. At his death, Dr. King was raising a protest against poverty.
Poverty continues to worsen despite the economic upturn.
Now we look to the United Nations for the rights missing in our constitution. In the last decade the Senate has ratified the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but refused to let us use it in a court of law. The Senate also ratified the Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination and a world conference on discrimination will be held in the year 2001. These are treaties to which the United States is now bound by international law. Our rights are embodied in these documents, though as noted, our use of the first covenant is limited.