Ramblings on rights, among other things
I'm reading "A Tolerable Anarchy", which is very readable considering it was written by a liberal. It's given me a lot of thought on an issue I was already mulling over in my head...the nature of freedom. :)
There are 6 basic human rights, as I see it, and I will list them here. Keep in mind, I am still looking at how these interact and the degree to which each of these is "absolute".
Existence. All humans have the right to exist. This is the first part of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", and the most basic right, for obvious reasons. This right is the reason that murder is universally a crime (though note that not all killing is murder...murder is deliberate killing without just cause).
Thought. All humans have the right to think freely and maintain their own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. This includes such things are freedom of religion. This is NOT a right to education (which must be acquired/provided), but it is a right to not be prevented from acquiring education. No one should have to provide you with a teacher, but if you find someone willing to teach you (or the means to teach yourself), no one should be able to bar you from learning.
Expression. All humans have the right to express themselves freely. This is freedom of speech, of the press, and of art. This flows from the Right of Thought, since thoughts you cannot express are often (usually) wasted. The only limit, in my opinion, on the Right of Expression should be that people are allowed not to listen to you. If you want to talk on your front lawn, print a newspaper, write a blog, etc, then people have the option to walk away, not read it, etc. If you are broadcasting your expressions through a gigantic megaphone, that's not cool...then you're probably interfering with their Right of Thought.
Self-Direction. All humans have the right to act freely towards whatever purposes they choose. This the second part of "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness"...and maybe the third as well. This right is the reason slavery is abhorrent, as well as kidnapping, and many other crimes.
Self-Defense. All humans have the right to use force to defend themselves and their rights. This flows from the Right to Existence...it stands to reason that if you have a right to live, you have the right to prevent your own death. Similarly, I believe that force can be used to protect one's other rights (liberty, property, etc), but only defensively.
Property. All humans have the right to possess the products of their efforts...and themselves. That latter is a basic right that is not well-respected in modern society, the right to own one's own body and do as one pleases with it. Your body is the only piece of property you are born with, and you should have absolute say over what happens to it. If you wish to tattoo it, scar it, make it strong, debase it, revel in it, whatever...it is yours. If you wish to poison your body with drugs, that is your right. If you wish to destroy your body when it ceases to function to your satisfaction, that is your right. If you wish to rent your body (in the sexual sense or the more standard sense of labor), that is your right. Similarly, the products of your body and mind should be yours, and people should not be allowed to take them. The crime of rape could be qualified as a violation of this right (misuse of your body, your property) or of other rights (existence--meaning self-integrity--and self-direction, perhaps).
A few thoughts on the nature of rights, in general:
1.) Rights are inherent. You are born with them (though you may not be fully able to utilize them at birth), and do not need anyone to give them to you (nor can anyone give them to you). If it's not something you would have by yourself on a desert island, chances are it isn't a right.
2.) Rights do not allow someone to interfere with anyone else's rights. Your right to swing your fist ends at someone else's nose. You can exercise your rights freely, but not at the cost of someone else's rights. Arbitrating this (keeping people from violating each others' rights) is, IMO, the primary and most basic function of government.
2a.) As a corollary to the above, if you attempt to violate someone else's rights, you may end up forfeiting your own. Attempt to kill me, and you forfeit your right to existence, as I will defend myself. Rob someone, and you forfeit your own right to property, as you will be required to pay recompense. Commit other crimes, and you may forfeit your right to liberty, as you can be imprisoned by your fellows. And so on and so forth.
3.) Rights are NOT freedoms from reality. Coercion does not (necessarily) violate someone's rights...reality is coercive. Rain coerces you to go inside, wages coerce you to labor for someone else, and so on and so forth. So long as coercion does not negate (or threaten to negate) one of your basic rights, and you retain choice of action, coercion is simply a part of life.
4.) Rights are inherent, but the encompass the use of tools (products of thought) to employ them. For instance, the Right of Expression includes the use of technology (writing, computers, etc) to express oneself. They do NOT require that anyone provide you with the tools of expression; merely that no one can (rightfully) forbid those tools from you. The same applies to the use of weaponry in self-defense, the use of tools in self-direction, and so forth. I see laws preventing the ownership of firearms in exactly the same way I view laws banning printing presses or internet connections.
Other things:
Upskirt perverts are a huge problem
Thanks to Maria V. from Hathor for the head's up...holy crap degenerates. The worst part of this (IMO)? The very first paragraph describes how a 34-year-old man stuck a camera under a 16-year-old girl's skirt and snapped a photo of her panties, and the charges were dropped. Because you have no expectation of privacy in public. EVEN UNDER YOUR FUCKING SKIRT. Man, it's gotten so that the law is not merely an ass, it's an asshole.
I don't know why this is hard for jurists to grasp, but you have EVERY expectation of privacy under your clothes. That's the whole purpose to wearing them. What the FUCK.
Naturally, this speaks volumes about sexuality in American culture, the male gaze, and expectations that some men have about access to women. Others have said it better, but I want to make sure people hear it being said: this shit is not okay, and men need to do their part to step up and say so.
Courts actually acknowledge the 2nd amendment
Long story short, cops should not hassle you for exercising a basic and fundamental right, and I'm glad to see the courts (at least some) acknowledging that. As with the case of people carrying firearms openly at political rallies (which I am in support of, sorry for those who it makes uncomfortable), the important thing is to create visibility and help promote a change in attitude: if safe, lawful, open carry of sidearms becomes commonplace, it will help people to see it as legitimate. This is important, because it IS legitimate.
--"Crunchy Cons", by Rod Dreher. This was a great read, even if I don't agree with him on all points. I've also found his blog, and need to make it a part of my regular interwebz.
--"The Last Best Hope", by Joe Scarborough. This was not nearly as good as his other book ("Rome Wasn't Burnt In a Day"). While it was gratifying to see a conservative point out how badly Republicans have fucked things up for us, it was neither entertaining nor particularly insightful.
--"Leave Us Alone", by Grove Norquist. I thought this might have some decent insights about libertarianism. Instead, it reads like a recruitment manual for the Republican party. Worse, while it purports to be about getting the government out of our lives, it's mostly about getting government out of your wallet, and has the usual slant towards businesses, corporations, and the rich. I barely managed to get through it without puking.
--"Savage Sword of Conan"...the comics, not the original Howard stories. I found that my library has these big trade paperback collections, so I've been enjoying reading about our favorite Cimmerian combatting hordes of warriors and generally telling dark wizards to shove it. I like Conan...and I wish D&D modeled Conan's style of "sword and sorcery" a lot better. I may do another post about what D&D is supposed to be about...stay tuned.
Superman meets the Dark Knight. Just watch it. You'll laugh.
I like Taylor Swift, okay? I really enjoyed "Teardrops on My Guitar" back when it first came out, but the other day I was listening to her newest, "Fifteen", and realized I like most of what I've heard. "Love Story" was sweet and reminiscent of my own falling in love, "White Horse" was a decent quasi-ballad about female self-respect, "You Belong With Me" is kind of a love song about the girl next door (which I like), and "Fifteen" seems to be about dealing with the confusion of adolescence, with a note of warning about young girls and relationships. Consider these lines:
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes you head spin 'round but
In your life you'll do things greater
Than dating the boy on the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen
or
Back then I swore I was gonna
Marry him someday
But I realized some bigger dreams of mine
And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy
Who changed his mind
And we both cried
Don't those sound like "don't let a relationship with a boy define you"? 'Cause I think that's a pretty important lesson for young girls. Or consider the way "White Horse" subverts the Prince Charming trope (as opposed to, for instance, "Suds In the Bucket", a song that still kinda annoys me when I hear it.
Anyway, I really like her music, even is she is kinda teeny-pop. She has a really great voice, too. So Kanye West can go fuck himself.
Song Lyrics:
'Cause when you're...fifteen,
Somebody tells you they love you,
You're gonna believe them...
And when you're...fifteen
Don't forget to look before you fall...
--Taylor Swift, "Fifteen"
There are 6 basic human rights, as I see it, and I will list them here. Keep in mind, I am still looking at how these interact and the degree to which each of these is "absolute".
Existence. All humans have the right to exist. This is the first part of "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness", and the most basic right, for obvious reasons. This right is the reason that murder is universally a crime (though note that not all killing is murder...murder is deliberate killing without just cause).
Thought. All humans have the right to think freely and maintain their own thoughts, opinions, and beliefs. This includes such things are freedom of religion. This is NOT a right to education (which must be acquired/provided), but it is a right to not be prevented from acquiring education. No one should have to provide you with a teacher, but if you find someone willing to teach you (or the means to teach yourself), no one should be able to bar you from learning.
Expression. All humans have the right to express themselves freely. This is freedom of speech, of the press, and of art. This flows from the Right of Thought, since thoughts you cannot express are often (usually) wasted. The only limit, in my opinion, on the Right of Expression should be that people are allowed not to listen to you. If you want to talk on your front lawn, print a newspaper, write a blog, etc, then people have the option to walk away, not read it, etc. If you are broadcasting your expressions through a gigantic megaphone, that's not cool...then you're probably interfering with their Right of Thought.
Self-Direction. All humans have the right to act freely towards whatever purposes they choose. This the second part of "life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness"...and maybe the third as well. This right is the reason slavery is abhorrent, as well as kidnapping, and many other crimes.
Self-Defense. All humans have the right to use force to defend themselves and their rights. This flows from the Right to Existence...it stands to reason that if you have a right to live, you have the right to prevent your own death. Similarly, I believe that force can be used to protect one's other rights (liberty, property, etc), but only defensively.
Property. All humans have the right to possess the products of their efforts...and themselves. That latter is a basic right that is not well-respected in modern society, the right to own one's own body and do as one pleases with it. Your body is the only piece of property you are born with, and you should have absolute say over what happens to it. If you wish to tattoo it, scar it, make it strong, debase it, revel in it, whatever...it is yours. If you wish to poison your body with drugs, that is your right. If you wish to destroy your body when it ceases to function to your satisfaction, that is your right. If you wish to rent your body (in the sexual sense or the more standard sense of labor), that is your right. Similarly, the products of your body and mind should be yours, and people should not be allowed to take them. The crime of rape could be qualified as a violation of this right (misuse of your body, your property) or of other rights (existence--meaning self-integrity--and self-direction, perhaps).
A few thoughts on the nature of rights, in general:
1.) Rights are inherent. You are born with them (though you may not be fully able to utilize them at birth), and do not need anyone to give them to you (nor can anyone give them to you). If it's not something you would have by yourself on a desert island, chances are it isn't a right.
2.) Rights do not allow someone to interfere with anyone else's rights. Your right to swing your fist ends at someone else's nose. You can exercise your rights freely, but not at the cost of someone else's rights. Arbitrating this (keeping people from violating each others' rights) is, IMO, the primary and most basic function of government.
2a.) As a corollary to the above, if you attempt to violate someone else's rights, you may end up forfeiting your own. Attempt to kill me, and you forfeit your right to existence, as I will defend myself. Rob someone, and you forfeit your own right to property, as you will be required to pay recompense. Commit other crimes, and you may forfeit your right to liberty, as you can be imprisoned by your fellows. And so on and so forth.
3.) Rights are NOT freedoms from reality. Coercion does not (necessarily) violate someone's rights...reality is coercive. Rain coerces you to go inside, wages coerce you to labor for someone else, and so on and so forth. So long as coercion does not negate (or threaten to negate) one of your basic rights, and you retain choice of action, coercion is simply a part of life.
4.) Rights are inherent, but the encompass the use of tools (products of thought) to employ them. For instance, the Right of Expression includes the use of technology (writing, computers, etc) to express oneself. They do NOT require that anyone provide you with the tools of expression; merely that no one can (rightfully) forbid those tools from you. The same applies to the use of weaponry in self-defense, the use of tools in self-direction, and so forth. I see laws preventing the ownership of firearms in exactly the same way I view laws banning printing presses or internet connections.
Other things:
Upskirt perverts are a huge problem
Thanks to Maria V. from Hathor for the head's up...holy crap degenerates. The worst part of this (IMO)? The very first paragraph describes how a 34-year-old man stuck a camera under a 16-year-old girl's skirt and snapped a photo of her panties, and the charges were dropped. Because you have no expectation of privacy in public. EVEN UNDER YOUR FUCKING SKIRT. Man, it's gotten so that the law is not merely an ass, it's an asshole.
I don't know why this is hard for jurists to grasp, but you have EVERY expectation of privacy under your clothes. That's the whole purpose to wearing them. What the FUCK.
Naturally, this speaks volumes about sexuality in American culture, the male gaze, and expectations that some men have about access to women. Others have said it better, but I want to make sure people hear it being said: this shit is not okay, and men need to do their part to step up and say so.
Courts actually acknowledge the 2nd amendment
Long story short, cops should not hassle you for exercising a basic and fundamental right, and I'm glad to see the courts (at least some) acknowledging that. As with the case of people carrying firearms openly at political rallies (which I am in support of, sorry for those who it makes uncomfortable), the important thing is to create visibility and help promote a change in attitude: if safe, lawful, open carry of sidearms becomes commonplace, it will help people to see it as legitimate. This is important, because it IS legitimate.
--"Crunchy Cons", by Rod Dreher. This was a great read, even if I don't agree with him on all points. I've also found his blog, and need to make it a part of my regular interwebz.
--"The Last Best Hope", by Joe Scarborough. This was not nearly as good as his other book ("Rome Wasn't Burnt In a Day"). While it was gratifying to see a conservative point out how badly Republicans have fucked things up for us, it was neither entertaining nor particularly insightful.
--"Leave Us Alone", by Grove Norquist. I thought this might have some decent insights about libertarianism. Instead, it reads like a recruitment manual for the Republican party. Worse, while it purports to be about getting the government out of our lives, it's mostly about getting government out of your wallet, and has the usual slant towards businesses, corporations, and the rich. I barely managed to get through it without puking.
--"Savage Sword of Conan"...the comics, not the original Howard stories. I found that my library has these big trade paperback collections, so I've been enjoying reading about our favorite Cimmerian combatting hordes of warriors and generally telling dark wizards to shove it. I like Conan...and I wish D&D modeled Conan's style of "sword and sorcery" a lot better. I may do another post about what D&D is supposed to be about...stay tuned.
Superman meets the Dark Knight. Just watch it. You'll laugh.
I like Taylor Swift, okay? I really enjoyed "Teardrops on My Guitar" back when it first came out, but the other day I was listening to her newest, "Fifteen", and realized I like most of what I've heard. "Love Story" was sweet and reminiscent of my own falling in love, "White Horse" was a decent quasi-ballad about female self-respect, "You Belong With Me" is kind of a love song about the girl next door (which I like), and "Fifteen" seems to be about dealing with the confusion of adolescence, with a note of warning about young girls and relationships. Consider these lines:
When you're fifteen and your first kiss
Makes you head spin 'round but
In your life you'll do things greater
Than dating the boy on the football team
But I didn't know it at fifteen
or
Back then I swore I was gonna
Marry him someday
But I realized some bigger dreams of mine
And Abigail gave everything she had to a boy
Who changed his mind
And we both cried
Don't those sound like "don't let a relationship with a boy define you"? 'Cause I think that's a pretty important lesson for young girls. Or consider the way "White Horse" subverts the Prince Charming trope (as opposed to, for instance, "Suds In the Bucket", a song that still kinda annoys me when I hear it.
Anyway, I really like her music, even is she is kinda teeny-pop. She has a really great voice, too. So Kanye West can go fuck himself.
Song Lyrics:
'Cause when you're...fifteen,
Somebody tells you they love you,
You're gonna believe them...
And when you're...fifteen
Don't forget to look before you fall...
--Taylor Swift, "Fifteen"