Comments on: What is a right?

By: Xrlq

Xrlq — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 22:02:11 +0000

Bob, that argument proves too much. Most of us also think there’s a right to liberty and property, but both can be taken away after due process as punishment for a crime, and both can be infringed somewhat even without a crime.

By: Bob

Bob — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 21:03:39 +0000

I tend to think of “rights” as opposed to “privileges” (sp?). For instance, the argument comes up with regard to the “right to life” espoused by the anti-choice side of the abortion debate.
If there is a right to life, then the death penalty should be abolished, as that legal penalty renders life a privilege, and not a right. A driver’s license, on the other hand, is a privilege, revocable in the face of a history of traffice tickets, accidents, drunk driving.
Thanks for the opportunity to share my $0.02.

By: SayUncle » Blog Archive » Quote of the day

SayUncle » Blog Archive » Quote of the day — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 13:27:25 +0000

[...] In my discussion of What Is A Right?, reader Ron W. writes: One thing about a right, if someone else must provide it for you, it isn�t a right�such as healthcare or education. [...]

By: Balloon Juice

Balloon Juice — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 03:42:52 +0000

[...] Say Uncle discusses ‘What is a Right?’ [...]

By: Ron W

Ron W — Sun, 14 Aug 2005 14:22:20 +0000

One thing about a right, if someone else must provide it for you, it isn’t a right…such as healthcare or education. On the other hand, rights are to be secured by law, according to the Preamble of the Constitution.

By: NashvilleFiles Blog

NashvilleFiles Blog — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:18:34 +0000

Those Darn Unenumerated Rights and the 9th Amendment

Today SayUncle asks “What is a right?” Specifically, what are the rights that fall under the 9th Amendment. I had been meaning to write some on this, so I think that at SayUncle’s prompting, it makes for a perfect time….

By: Blake

Blake — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 19:17:58 +0000

I used this opportunity to write a long winded post about rights over at my place. http://nashvillefiles.com/blog/archives/001019.html

By the way, Jon….ever since reading “Restoring the Lost Constitution,” I’ve used that same quote a lot. It’s a perfect description of where we are today.

By: _Jon

_Jon — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 17:45:25 +0000

I got the concept from a book called “Restoring The Lost Constitution”.
It’s a difficult read. Lot’s of legal and precedent references.

One thing that stuck with me was this metaphor (written from memory):

The United States is supposed to be structured such that government limitations were like islands in an ocean of freedom. What we have moved to is a structure where citizen’s freedoms are like islands in an ocean of government restrictions.

I agree.

By: SayUncle

SayUncle — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:22:42 +0000

Tom, I realize that but apparently am struggling with sentence structure today. :0

By: tgirsch

tgirsch — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 16:17:50 +0000

I don’t think anyone argues that the ninth amendment specifically enumerates that right. It does not. But the fourth amendment makes no sense without some expectation of privacy, and the ninth amendment stipulates that just because a right isn’t enumerated doesn’t mean it ain’t there. The ninth is, essentially, a counter-argument to the silly argument that there’s no protected right to privacy because such a right isn’t enumerated.

By: _Jon

_Jon — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:22:51 +0000

Simply put, the Declartion of Independance and the Constitution of the United States are documents that define what the _government limitations_ are. Confused People tend to believe those documents are intended to limit the citizens.
The Right to Privacy of the Citizens is property of the Citizens because it has not been explicitly given to the government by these documents.

By: rich

rich — Thu, 11 Aug 2005 14:06:43 +0000

building a loooong post on that at the moment. I’ll let you know when it’s done.