Terre Haute mayor: Basic human rights are not political

Yahoo

20-03-2025

A conversation on human rights can become politically charged, but it really boils down to meeting people's basic needs, says Terre Haute Mayor Brandon Sakbun.
Those basic human rights are not political, he said.
Sakbun, a Democrat, was the keynote speaker Wednesday during Terre Haute Human Rights Day at Indiana State University.
"Both sides of the aisle should agree with me that every child should have a meal at school, every home should be safe and built to quality and every job should allow you to have a livable wage for you and your family," he said prior to his "fireside chat" address. "These are common sense policies."
The city of Terre Haute addresses human rights through initiatives that aim to meet basic human needs related to food, housing and transportation, he said.
He gave examples of the city's efforts to meet those basic needs, including removing transit fares that enable people to ride buses to get to grocery stores and jobs.
The city has provided incentives to increase housing stock that also has a long-term positive effect on the homeless population, he said. Those homeless initiatives include wraparound services that relate to employment, social services and mental health.
Terre Haute has partnered with the Pacers Foundation to expand its Drive and Dish program, which works with Terre Haute Catholic Charities and the Vigo County School Corp. to provide healthy meals to families in need.
If policies and funding cuts at the state and federal level adversely impact programs addressing those basic needs, "That's when we have to have very candid conversations about what is the true definition of making America great again," Sakbun said.
Among those attending Human Rights Day were an estimated 300 Vigo County School Corp. high school students and Sullivan County high school students.
Eve Reid, a South Vigo junior, explained why it was important to attend the event.
"Terre Haute is a rather liberal place, but we still live in Indiana which is profoundly illiberal," Reid said. "It's not a great place to be" depending on one's gender identity or sexual orientation
"I want to do something to stand up, to contribute in any way that I can," Reid said. Attending Human Rights Day was one way to accomplish that.
'Everyday conversation'
Valerie Craig, who serves on the Human Rights Day Committee, believes it was an especially important event given policies being implemented at the federal and state level, or as she put it, "in light of our world burning."
"It's so very important for our students to hear an alternate way of thinking about the world in light of what is happening in 2025," she said.
"I think human rights are so basic, this should be everyday conversation — in classrooms and around the community. But unfortunately, it doesn't seem like it's the thing to do right now. Right now it seems real canceled to think about the basic rights of others," she said.
Terre Haute Human Rights Day "opens that door for our students," Craig said.
Craig agreed with Sakbun's comments. "We have to stop politicizing basic rights for those who may not have been gifted with a silver spoon in their mouth," she said. "It seems like right now, if you're not corporate and you're not in that top 3% of America, your needs are not considered anymore. That's what it feels like."
Mayor's fireside chat
In his fireside chat keynote, Sakbun was asked a series of questions by Anne-Therese Ryan, executive director of the Terre Haute Human Relations Commission.
Among them was how his military service shaped his views on human rights.
Sakbun, who served as an officer in the Army's 75th Ranger Regiment and then transitioned to the Indiana National Guard, spoke of America's role as a leader of the free world in light of current national policy retreating from that role and ending foreign aid programs.
"If the United States is truly the greatest nation in the world, if we really want to live by that statement, how can you just abandon all of these other nations?"
Housing and economic issues in in Africa, the Mideast or Asia do impact the United States, he said.
"There is a reason why we have international aid and international programs. Consequentially, when the United States doesn't involve itself overseas, in issues usually as it pertains to human rights, bad things happen," he said.
He asked, "Who do you think steps in when the U.S. steps out," referring to countries that don't espouse democracy.
In a student question, he was asked about school facility needs in Vigo County and how to address them, which drew a strong reaction from the Terre Haute mayor.
Indiana communities that are growing prioritize education. "They chose to pay more taxes to build better schools," he said.
Vigo County schools are strong academically, "but the harsh reality is you and the facilities you are in are not up to the standard of other, growing communities in Indiana," Sakbun said.
The community will continue to struggle to grow and keep young families if it does not improve its high schools, he said. "This community has got to accept the fact they need to invest in their schools."
More attendee comments
Also attending the event was Ally McDonald, a North Vigo junior, who attended a presentation by ACLU of Indiana on Protecting Civil Rights in Indiana.
"I'm concerned about everything," including LGBTQ rights, she said. "I'm a big feminist and always have been. I think everyone should have equal rights. I don't understand where all this hate in our society comes from. It just really hurts my soul sometimes."
Abortion rights and birth control are also important to her, she said.
Brook Rife, a South Vigo sophomore, also attended Human Rights Day. She believes many from different ethnic, cultural and racial backgrounds "undergo a lot of things that most people don't try to understand where they are coming from."
People of all backgrounds "should be able to have rights as a human ... with housing and food, and even going to the hospital."
Given everything happening at the state and federal level, Human Rights Day is an opportunity to reflect on the past "and events we went through to get where we are today — to give people more opportunities to better themselves and to learn from our past mistakes," Rife said.