I'm frequently puzzled by this rather odd idea of the nature of rights. There
is a strange idea that rights are some sort of innate, divinely inspired and
intrinsic part of being human - that they appear as if by magic and cannot be
removed or modified. In fact any society sets some fairly stringent boundaries
upon any of your rights. That's because rights are awarded and accorded to you
by your society and in many if not all cases, may be removed.
The right to life? Not if you live somewhere with capital punishment where that
right can be removed.
The right to freedom? Not if you commit a serious crime and are successfully
prosecuted.
The right to the pursuit of happiness? Not if it infringes on some else's
rights.
The right to bear arms? Why on earth would that be sacrosanct if it was seen to
be as problematic as the 'right' to drive as fast as I damn well like while
drunk?
People used to understand that they had the right to bait bears, run dog
fights, shoot inconvenient indigenous peoples, beat wives and children to
discipline them and I'm sure some still do, even down here - but they no longer
have the 'right' to do so. Well, just about anywhere I'd care to visit.
All of the above are subject to the rule of law - if you are lucky enough to
live somewhere where the rule of law is applied rigorously and without favour.
But even the law is a dynamic system, changing to accommodate new circumstances.
Whether ownership of lethal weapons is an appropriate right is a matter for
Americans to decide, based on difficult arguments from morality and evidence.
But the evidence at least seems to demonstrate that however appropriate the
right once was, it no longer has utility.
Andrew Fildes
afildes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
www.soultheft.com
Author/Publisher:
The SLR Compendium:
revised edition -
http://blur.by/19Hb8or
The TLR Compendium
http://blur.by/1eDpqN7
On 14/12/2013, at 12:44 PM, Tina Manley wrote:
> any infringement on the right to bear any arms is violating
> their rights.
--
_________________________________________________________________
Options: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/listinfo/olympus
Archives: http://lists.thomasclausen.net/mailman/private/olympus/
Themed Olympus Photo Exhibition: http://www.tope.nl/
|