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       #Post#: 28--------------------------------------------------
       Rights vs. Privileges
       By: RobertLonie Date: July 12, 2012, 6:21 pm
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       This is not the first discussion of the differences among
       rights and privileges. And, it won’t be the last. So, today’s
       conversation is more of a starting point than a final summation.
       First, in order to have a clear understanding, we should
       establish definitions with which we can agree upon.
       According to Dictionary.com, a right is a “just claim or
       title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral.” And, a privilege
       is a “grant to an individual, corporation, etc., of a special
       right or immunity, under certain conditions.” These definitions
       seem rather vague.
       Thomas Jefferson wrote in the Declaration of Independence
       that people are “endowed by their Creator with certain
       unalienable rights.” Therefore, how can a right be special or
       granted under certain conditions, as in the definition of
       privilege? This not being a discussion of theology, we should
       avoid defining creator. However, if we are created with certain
       rights, then these cannot be taken away by anyone but the
       creator. That seems to be the essence of the Declaration of
       Independence. The King of England and its Parliament sought to
       usurp these rights of the colonists.
       But, not all rights are granted at birth. The United
       States, for example, has a Bill of Rights. Different cultures
       and different nations also have differing rights. So, most of
       what we consider rights, are actually privileges, rights granted
       under certain conditions. These conditions are wide and varied.
       These may include, but are not limited to, location of birth,
       gender, educational level, ethnicity, wealth, and hereditary
       background. The main point being, if it is reserved for some and
       not freely given all, then it must be a privilege.
       That’s my observation. Feel free to disagree.
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