How to Bestow Rights

There exists a perverse and servile notion that only governments and those in power can bestow rights upon human beings. One has free speech, for example, only to the extent that a government is willing to give it to him.

This attitude, to me, is statist claptrap. I need not go to the government to give my neighbor the right to use my lawnmower whenever he wishes. I need not go to the government to give someone the right to say what he wants in my presence.

This is true of all rights, positive and negative. Each person can bestow a right and abide by the corresponding duty to recognize it, refrain from interfering with it, and ultimately defend it, just like any government or group of other men.

The process of bestowing a right is as follows: tell him his right and refrain from interfering with it when he chooses to excercize it.

a reply to: CitizenZero

Our rights are endowed by our Creator. They are not bestowed by man. Our rights are natural, inalienable and absolute.

Our rights are self-evident. Whatever we can do for ourselves and by ourselves. Including that which we choose to do with other consenting adults.

Anyone imposing anything on anyone is a violation of our rights.

a reply to: Boadicea

I’ve never seen nature bestow any rights. In each case throughout history rights were bestowed by man.

a reply to: CitizenZero

It is part and parcel of our founding documents and organic law. Are you not familiar with our Declaration of Independence? natural law?

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

Declaration of Independence
I like the Founding Father's way.

a reply to: CitizenZero

I’ve never seen nature bestow any rights.

I sure have seen Nature, including human nature, not give a dam about anything's or anyone's rights.

a reply to: Boadicea

More to the point... Did not nature endow you with the ability to speak? To think? To act? To love? To learn? To act?

Your ability to do or say or think anything and everything is not bestowed by government or man... But by our Creator... Or if you prefer Nature and Nature's God.

Government did not grant us these gifts... Our rights... Government has no right and no authority to take them away.

a reply to: Boadicea

Government has no right and no authority to take them away.

Not according to the governments violating them everyday.

a reply to: Sookiechacha

Not according to the governments violating them everyday.

Well, true that...

Especially the "violating" part!

They won't admit it but it is what it is.

a reply to: Boadicea

How do you believe that if they can be taken by man? We have no rights at best we have privileges.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: CitizenZero

It is part and parcel of our founding documents and organic law. Are you not familiar with our Declaration of Independence? natural law?

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them...

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed...

Declaration of Independence
I like the Founding Father's way.

I understand natural rights theory. I believe that life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness stem from man’s natural inclinations and should be protected. I just don’t think these rights are endowed by a creator or nature.

a reply to: CitizenZero

Well, okay... But we weren't created in a lab or manufacturing plant or even by an act of Congress. Our ability to think and reason... To express ourselves... To make choices and decisions... To act or not... All of these are inherent to our being. Government cannot grant it or bestow it. They cannot even deny it. They can only use threats to influence our choices and decisions or punish us for doing so after the fact.

But why do you want to forsake our Natural absolute rights to the will of corrupt political critters? Why do you want to give them that power over us? Why do you prefer n authoritarian government that gives and takes over our republic that must protect and defend our rights?

originally posted by: BlankUsername
a reply to: Boadicea

How do you believe that if they can be taken by man? We have no rights at best we have privileges.

Because in reality, no one can take my ability to think and reason for myself. At most they can threaten me for doing so which may influence my choices... They can punish me after the fact... But it's still my choice -- no matter how crappy my choices are due to others imposing their will on me.

It is a violation of my natural rights. But my natural rights still exist.

We can demand that government protect and defend our rights in accordance with our organic law... Or we can join the tyrants in violating everyone's natural rights.

It's still our choice.

a reply to: Boadicea

I guess I don't view the ability to think and reason as a right it is ,just that, an ability, I missed that part of the constitution. Shoot I don't even think most people I have met display the ability of thought and reason.

a reply to: BlankUsername

Without our ability to think and reason we could not make our own choices and decisions... Isn't that what freedom and liberty is all about? How can we pursue happiness if we cannot choose what makes us happy or decide how to pursue our happiness?

Is it not our ability to think and reason that informs and inspires our words and speech?

What else except our ability to think and reason inspires our faith and worship (or lack thereof)?

a reply to: CitizenZero

Rights are bestowed by our creator.

If you don't accept a creator, then rigghts are inherent because we are human.

Once we are determined to be human, we should have all rights to freedom, to life, to free expression. . . .

a reply to: CitizenZero

Bestowed by creator recognized by man. This is the reason man is attempting to no longer recongize God.

a reply to: BlankUsername

It's essentially recognizing god given gifts thus the need/ability to express them should not be hindered by government/man.

originally posted by: Boadicea
a reply to: CitizenZero

Well, okay... But we weren't created in a lab or manufacturing plant or even by an act of Congress. Our ability to think and reason... To express ourselves... To make choices and decisions... To act or not... All of these are inherent to our being. Government cannot grant it or bestow it. They cannot even deny it. They can only use threats to influence our choices and decisions or punish us for doing so after the fact.

But why do you want to forsake our Natural absolute rights to the will of corrupt political critters? Why do you want to give them that power over us? Why do you prefer n authoritarian government that gives and takes over our republic that must protect and defend our rights?

I’m saying that anyone can bestow rights. When someone doesn’t give you the right to free speech they censor you. When they do give you the right to free speech they don’t censor you. Nature didn’t bestow us the duty to refuse to censor someone. God didn’t write that on his tablets. That choice needs to be made through conscious decision and human free will.

I agree that nature has given you life and the ability to direct your life how you see fit. I agree that no one should interfere with it. But I choose to not interfere because of what you said: good, moral reasons about dignity and individuality. And because I take it upon myself to respect you as an individual and avoid intervening in your path, I grant you a host of rights as an acknowledgement of this respect. I don’t do it because of natural rights. Natural rights theorists used an idea—the idea of rights—taken from the arena of kings and emperors, who were up until then the only ones who could bestow rights.

a reply to: CitizenZero

I don't disagree, but I think "respect" is a more appropriate word than "bestow."

No person can bestow rights. We can only recognize and respect rights that we all have by virtue of our birth and being.

If rights don't come from the government then what justification do people have for licking boots?