Wednesday, August 18, 2010

The Wrongs of Rights

Can you list your "Rights?" We have Civil Rights, Personal Rights, Voting Rights, Reproductive Rights, The Right to Choose, The Right to feed our family [think illegal immigration], Childrens' Rights, Individual Rights, The Right to Healthcare, The Right to own a home [think America's economic collapse] and the list goes on, almost endlessly. New Rights are being found or created every day.

Now....can you list your Responsibilities? If you are the average person, this list will be much shorter. We have been taught NOT to think in terms of responsibility. Responsibility mitigates our Rights, controls and limits the free expression of our Rights. Responsibility is quite simply a Killjoy!

However, without responsible citizens, family members, legislators, police officers, teachers, pastors, professors, administrators, executives, etc, the society suffers. Individuals are inflated beyond the bounds of decency and respect. Decisions are more self-centered than magnanimous. Children don't learn to control their desires. Parents don't parent. And society suffers.

We have reached the point where everyone is an individual and no one has any real responsibility for the condition of the group. The 'system' has become so complex and confusing, even the worst abuse can be explained in such a way as to either convince or so obfuscate as to leave most people polarized and frustrated. Often frustrated enough to 'check out' of the debate.

An emphases on Rights leads to Rebellion. An emphasis on Responsibility leads to character. Seen any character lately? Our society is fixated on making sure everyone knows and has essential Rights. This has led to a breakdown of morals and decency. The most obvious abuse has been in The Family. Children who grow up understanding their Rights, generally develop a superiority complex and confront any and all challenges to those Rights. In the process they do not learn Life Lessons.

Look at all the Government Programs designed to compensate for irresponsibility. The Message? Live however you want and the government will pick up the pieces. This is a recipe for government control. The reason we have seat-belt laws is because the government is the final insurer against the damage which accrues to those not wearing a seat-belt. Multiply that by however many Rights you have to do whatever you want. Now, divide that by the laws and policies devised to control for your irresponsible behavior and you begin to see the social slavery created by all those Rights!

Cynical? Wait till you see National Healthcare, Amnesty for illegal immigrants and the Rationing of Energy [Cap-And-Trade] which spells the end to private property. All because people have Rights!