Rights and all

[imperator_mei]

A while back, Mistress Matisse pointed out Bill Whittle's article in the National Review that poses the question, "What is a right, and how do we know?" particularly regarding Obama's terse answer in the positive to the question, "Is healthcare a right?" I wrote up a response to this, and leenerella's recent obliquely related post skewering people who dream

Comments

[susansbeeswax]

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. QFT -- one of my pet peeves is "that right isn't outlined in the Constitution." Well, no, but it is a fabulous candidate for coverage by the Ninth.

I'm fond of the Preamble as well, 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, - That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness.

*Among these unalienable rights* are life, liberty, & pursuit of happiness -- not limited to these three, just among these rights are the above three. As the ninth amendment points out -- just because this document doesn't cover every possible permutation of right doesn't mean that additional rights don't exist.