“The United Nations has perverted the idea of democracy as Americans understand it. Rather than empowering people and protecting their rights, it empowers and protects even the most brutal and anti-democratic governments.” The Heritage Foundation

A report by AP reporters Angus Shaw entitled, “Hungry in Zimbabwe: ‘If you rest, you starve’” and John Heilprin, “U.N. vote shows growing support of the death penalty”, further validate and substantiate our need to sever our ties with the United Nations as it relentlessly attempts to encroach upon our sovereignty. This body that replaced the League of Nations in 1948, more often than not fails to achieve it stated goals which are to; facilitate cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and world peace. Its influence on the world stage has waned and deteriorated and it struggles to maintain relevancy. It frequently aligns itself opposed to our priorities and opinions that have long been standards of liberty and freedom to the world.

Mr Shaw’s article laments the plight of a woman named Kati from Zimbabwe. Kati is in her 70’s and he finds her picking up spilled corn kernels that dropped from trucks ferrying it to the market. Shaw states that Kati hadn’t eaten for 3 days. Rebecca, a 9 year old, is observed prodding a termite mound in search of insects for her family’s evening meal. The cause of these horrific scenes is Zimbabwe’s political paralysis brought on by the of the power-sharing agreement between President Robert Mugabe and the opposition party, Movement for Democratic Change. Michael, a trader in the country, says that he has seen villager’s plucking undigested corn kernels from cow dung to wash and eat.

The food crisis started in 2000 when Robert Mugabe seized farms from owners and gave them to the veterans of his guerilla war against white rule over the farmer British colony. Mugabe officials recently toured this district, where these scenes of despair daily play out, and told the ‘new farm owners’ “The government could not supply their needs.” They were advised to make do with what seed they had left and with animal manure for fertilizer.

In contrast, Mr Heilprin reports on the United Nations recent vote that supports the abolishment of the death penalty. Oddly, he states that the United States ‘took the steps to side’ with countries such as Iran, China, and Syria in opposing the resolution, opposite our usual European allies and Israel. What is Mr Heilprin trying to say? From the tenor and tone of this statement, he comes accross as self loathing. I do not make the connection of our country to the haters our way of life, liberty, freedom, and due process under law.

Mr Heilprin went on to report how the resolution, though not legally binding, carries moral weight coming from the 192-nation world body. Many past and recent United Nations resolutions are laughable because they do not contain teeth and will to enforce what it resolves. United Nations resolutions are worth less than the paper and ink with which they are written. I'm hard pressed to recall recent or near history UN resolutions that have made a difference in the world.