Wisconsin's Lieutenant Governor urges the state to take a more active role in fighting for human rights. Lt. Governor Barbara Lawton appeared at the state Capitol Monday, during a ceremony marking Human Rights Day in Wisconsin. The state's recently passed gay marriage ban was among the policies targeted in her remarks. Lawton was critical of the state for enacting an amendment that writes discrimination in the state Constitution.
Lawton also warned against the US government using national security to justify abuses. She says the most egregious abuses of human rights can be hidden behind attempts to protect freedom.
In the wake of the death of former Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet, Lawton says it's important to renew a commitment to fighting for human rights. She says many of Pinochet's abuses were ignored while he was in power.