Rights =WTF??

[Jimmy the Pro]

Why do we have rights?

To me, rights seem like a hall pass in life that secures us certain ammenities but has no real application in SECURING us those ammenities.

For instance. I have the right to life. That SHOULD secure me my life, however this right does very little on its own to stop a bullet from going through my head.

Maybe im being an overanylitical asshat.

[Jack]

secures us certain ammenities but has no real application in SECURING us those ammenities

I agree. You may have the right to do something, but society is under no obligation, except where obliged by law, to help you achieve the practical application of them. A right is the stamp of approval by society.

[Vercingetorix]

A right is the stamp of approval by society.

A right is a right, regardless of society's approval (technically, it needs only mine...of course, deciding you have certain rights will land you in big trouble with society, which has decided it has the right to punish you for deciding you have a right to do something it does not approve of. Rights are not physical; they are metaphysical. A bullet can end your ability to exercise your right to be alive, which in turn probably ends your ability to exercise your other rights.

[Jack]

A right is a right, regardless of society's approval

I took rights to be referring to legal rights, which are granted by society. Human rights shouldn't be subject to the whims of law and politics, but they often are.

[Osborn F Enready]

Wait, hold it.

Idlemaniac said: Why do we have rights?

Our rights are ONLY in place to protect THE CITIZENS from the OVER REACH of GOVERNMENT!

That is their only place in our system. Our rights LIMIT the reach of the republic into our private lives.

Idlemaniac said: To me, rights seem like a hall pass in life that secures us certain ammenities but has no real application in SECURING us those ammenities.

Rights contain the limitation in legal form, to prevent government from over-reaching its powers. It is the PEOPLES RESPONSIBILITY to use those rights to prevent the government from doing so against those written, legal limitations.

How?

You have a right to free speech to petition and demand redress of grievances.
-if that fails....
You have the right to use a free press to spread the word of that failure of the government to MEET that demand for redress.
-if that fails.....
You have the right to use free speech and free press to assemble like-minded citizens for debate and forming a "method" of overthrowing the system that usurped your rights, USING your right to own and bear arms, based on the Constitutional promise that this system makes to uphold a Republican system of government, with its adopted limitations as originally stated.

The Rights you have are a hall pass to LIBERTY, PROPERTY, AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS, but only if you have the balls to FORCE the teacher to recognize the VALIDITY OF THE PASS.

The citizens must have the moxy and courage to enforce those limitations on government, by force if necessary.(as in the revolution from England)

Idlemaniac said: For instance. I have the right to life. That SHOULD secure me my life, however this right does very little on its own to stop a bullet from going through my head.

Words will never protect you from physical harm, nor will ANY LAW.

You, your resources, and a gun are all that will ever keep you, your loved ones, and your property safe. The sooner people learn that, the sooner we can get to justice, liberty and the right to pursue happiness.

Don't blame the system, blame yourselves.

It is THE PEOPLES FAULT this has happened, the question is what generation will be the next one to have the COURAGE to stand up to the biggest armies and navies of the world to RE-ENFORCE THOSE RIGHTS.

Stop saying you can't afford to fight, and realize thats all YOU CAN AFFORD.

Your kids are being sold into slavery as we speak.

Until you stop buying into the system, stop paying into the system, you're just another part of the problem.

What a travesty of education, that Americans born in this nation don't even understand the purpose, or the intended application of their sacred rights.

[Osborn F Enready]

Rights, TRUE rights, are inherant.

Here are the ones used to base our nation.

First and foremost, a Person OWNS themselves.

A person is born with a sense of logic, and rationale. (except those who are victims of disease, birth defect, etc) That means we all have a right to think and decide for ourselves, what is best for us within the respect of equal rights for others.

A person is born with an ability to act on thoughts that occur. That means we have a birthright to act on what we see fit, as long as it does not conflict with those equal rights of others.

A person is born with a right to defense, since we have the ability to "choose" to act in defense, and we have a means to aquire goods and knowledge to be used in defense. (club, sword, bow, knife, gun, and the knowledge to use them)

A person is born with a right to self-support, meaning we have a right to provide our own sustinence however we see fit, as long as it does not conflict with the equal rights of others. (this is a major contention of the socialist movement, since they want to FORCE others to SUPPORT others via welfare, wealth redistribution, etc.)

A person is born with a right to labor in their own intrest, meaning they can toil for their OWN beneficience. They have a right to keep the PRODUCTS OF THEIR LABOR, and it is FORCE that underpins this rule. An attempt to remove the product of labor, is an attempt to steal labor, or enforce slavery.(this is one of the main arguments against income tax, and all wealth redistribution arguments.)

A person is born with an inherant freedom to choose whom one cohabitates or socialises with. This is freedom of expression and societal vs individual choice. A peson has a right to be alone, if they so choose. A person also has a right to be part of other like minded people, if they so choose mutually.

A person has a right to maintain defense of their life, loved ones and property.
This right is evident from mans earliest existence. The right to bear arms is the next evolutional step in that process, meaning that the people have a right to be as well armed as the "government" that rules (or could oppress) them. (the people check the balance of force of the police, the police check the balance of force of the military, the military checks the force of foreign nations.)







A person DOES NOT HAVE A RIGHT TO LIFE, as in a right to be fed, cared for and sheltered. Why?

Because labor is required for food, shelter and care. To have a right to these things is having a right to enslave others, and no people have that right by birth.

Rights you are born with, rights are all that matters.

Our Bill of Rights attempted to reconcile politics with the laws of nature by making a common sense middle ground, to which each side can only move so far, limited by those drafted rights and the governments DEPENDENCE on the support of the people, and the peoples DEPENDENCE on government for trade and basic common threads laws enforcement as well as protection from foreign nations.

[Specusci]

Rights aren't necessary, nor do they exist in actuality. Rights are totally human creations, born from the need to protect one's self either from society or through society.

All laws, morals, ethics and rights are created for the sole purpose of continuing not only the society, but also the individual and the species. For example, society may observe the right to life. While this right does not actually exist, it gives the society a sense to defend that life and help give as much life and keep as much life as possible within that society. As a result, that society will thrive with a larger populous with which to produce and work, which increases efficiency and ultimately the power of the society.

It also increases the number of people and, therefore, the genetic variability and species. A large population of Humans obviously means that extinction will be that much more difficult.

When over-population begins to become a problem, certain mechanisms might come into play, such as the lowering of female status (an example being China), increase in homosexuality, tolerance of homosexual acts, smaller families and reduced birth rates. Of course, the opposite may be true of under-population, in which a homophobic matriarchal society of large families and poor contraceptives might occur.

So all rights serve some form of continued societal, species, or individually oriented purpose. Any detrimental ideals are usually weeded out early; for example, there are no active/open exterminist societies in existence and all such societies have fallen to decay or extinction in the modern world (Nazi Germany, for example). Individuals are limited to niche groups, such as Neo-Nazis and Fundamentalists.

[Osborn F Enready]

Thanks for the Canadian Socialist perspective......