I was just thinking about ... rights and privileges
When ever I think about the idea of rights and privileges I always think of a song by They Might Be Giants, "Ana Ng" and the lines "I don't want the world, I just want your half". So in keeping with my developing trend of tough topics and deep thoughts, I'll attempt to articulate my ideas without the condescending, know-it-all tendencies of most "thinkers" (which I'm most certainly not — a thinker that is, not condescendng know-it-all, I'm usually that)
Privileges:
- A special advantage, immunity, permission, right, or benefit granted to or enjoyed by an individual, class, or caste.
- Such an advantage, immunity, or right held as a prerogative of status or rank, and exercised to the exclusion or detriment of others.
Rights:
- Rights are entitlements to perform certain actions or be in certain states, or entitlements that others perform certain actions or be in certain states.
Its very easy to get these two concepts or ideas confused, or at least, integrated. At a glance they are very simliar. I feel our country, or perhaps our generation, has an undeserved sense of entitlement ("rights") to anything of desire.
We often have to tell our kids that there's a difference between what the want and what they need. We are obligated as parents to provide what they need — food, clothes, shelter, protection, love, guidance — but we're not obligated them what they want — the newest toys, video game console, Webkinz. The concept of entitlement is gained at a very young age; because we desire something we expect that we have a right to get it. A large portion of our lives are a priviege. Owning a house, or a car (something you earn from hard work, etc).
But what are our rights (outside that which is covered by the Bill of Rights)? Is health care a right or a privilege? Is employment a right or a privilege? Should the right to bear arms (weapons) be ratified?
Comments for "I was just thinking about ... rights and privileges"
I think you forgot to mention or include in your definition of a "right" that it is something that is implicitly given to an entity from another entity in a higher place of authority that the right-receiver is in subjugation to.
So in your example, yes we do have the right to bare arms, and since health care is not something that is specifically accounted to us under the current set of laws, it's not a right guaranteed by the government (we as Americans have a sort of guaranteed health care already, since no hospital is legally allowed to deny medical care or attention regardless of the ability to pay or not).
So the only other way to have that right ascribed to us as individuals would be to assume it from a higher authority than the government, such as nature or some other sentient being that has handed down some sort of moral coding and framework. No one can ever logically or honestly argue that nature or the ambiguous space mother or whatever it is that isn't an eternal god figure has predestined us or anyone on this planet to free health care or the right to long life. So, the only other higher authority that we can lean on to garnish a right to health care or any other moral issue would have to be a perfect god that has handed down a moral structure or framework, and we as Christians find that in the Bible as inspired by God, and that is another blog post I would assume.
All that to say, I agree with your assessment of rights vs. privileges.
by Aaron Martin
∞ Monday, June 1st, 2009
I currently live outside the U.S. in a country that offers less basic "rights" than the U.S. Which has prompted me to ponder this as well... What as an American are my rights? What "rights" would I fight to keep? And then here in my host country, how and why are these rights not equal between the urban and the rural areas? Between the wealthy and the poor? I completely agree that many of our generation within America feel entitled to many things. I just wish many Americans could see with their own eyes a life of someone oppressed or without privileges. Could help us all gain a bit of perspective.
by sarah
∞ Monday, June 1st, 2009
@Aaron: that is exactly what I was hoping someone would draw out. If rights aren't granted by the government, then they are appointed by God. If you don't believe in God, then all you have is the government.
@Sarah: We are very very privileged in this country. My point being that we are so privileged that we mistake those for absolutes and rights. So many people have a car and a home that they EXPECT that they should always be able to have those things (when in fact most people in the world barely can find a place to shelter themselves, let alone own it).
by Paul
∞ Monday, June 1st, 2009