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Once you decide to pick and choose who gets which constitutional rights, it makes it a lot easier to strip them away completely.

by moonka 9y ago

X86BSD 9y ago
This is what blows my mind. If someone can strip you of a "right", then it's not a right it's a privilege. We have RIGHTS in this country not privileges.
- averagewall 9y ago
  Are you saying that being allowed to stay alive is a privilege, not a right because the death penalty is used to take that away from people? I can't think of a more fundamental right than life, so it sounds like your statement contradicts itself - you have no rights in your country.
- Powerofmene 9y ago
  It seems to me we are confusing words....rights and privileges are being confused with entitlements. The Code of Federal Regulations has very few entitlements, Medicare at the age of 65 and a Free Appropriate Public Education are two entitlements and there are a few select others. All others "rights or privileges" as discussed here require meeting specific criteria.....voting is a privilege afforded to those who register and the federal law allows states to prohibit Convicted felons or the mentally incompetent the right to vote. Most states have placed these restrictions on voting in their state constitution. Life is a privilege that a jury and the courts can remove in many states just as freedom is a privilege not a right. An entitlement cannot be taken from you but suffice it to say entitlements are few in number in the US. As a reformed public servant who spent many many hours in the CFR, I assure you that you can count on one hand those entitlements.
xupybd 9y ago
I'm against BMG here, but don't we do this with criminals? Sending people to prison is revoking their right to freedom. If you're convicted of a violent crime, you lose the right to arms. I think there is a case to be made that some people need to have their rights restricted to prevent them from violating the rights of others. But this is not one of those cases.
- rainforest 9y ago
  I'm not sure where to draw the line, but at what point does revoking rights remove the incentive to comply with society?

Once you decide to pick and choose who gets which constitutional rights, it makes it a lot easier to strip them away completely.

by moonka 9y ago

Once you decide to pick and choose who gets which constitutional rights, it makes it a lot easier to strip them away completely.

X86BSD 9y ago

This is what blows my mind. If someone can strip you of a "right", then it's not a right it's a privilege. We have RIGHTS in this country not privileges.

averagewall 9y ago
Are you saying that being allowed to stay alive is a privilege, not a right because the death penalty is used to take that away from people? I can't think of a more fundamental right than life, so it sounds like your statement contradicts itself - you have no rights in your country.
Powerofmene 9y ago
It seems to me we are confusing words....rights and privileges are being confused with entitlements. The Code of Federal Regulations has very few entitlements, Medicare at the age of 65 and a Free Appropriate Public Education are two entitlements and there are a few select others. All others "rights or privileges" as discussed here require meeting specific criteria.....voting is a privilege afforded to those who register and the federal law allows states to prohibit Convicted felons or the mentally incompetent the right to vote. Most states have placed these restrictions on voting in their state constitution. Life is a privilege that a jury and the courts can remove in many states just as freedom is a privilege not a right. An entitlement cannot be taken from you but suffice it to say entitlements are few in number in the US. As a reformed public servant who spent many many hours in the CFR, I assure you that you can count on one hand those entitlements.

xupybd 9y ago

I'm against BMG here, but don't we do this with criminals? Sending people to prison is revoking their right to freedom. If you're convicted of a violent crime, you lose the right to arms. I think there is a case to be made that some people need to have their rights restricted to prevent them from violating the rights of others. But this is not one of those cases.

rainforest 9y ago
I'm not sure where to draw the line, but at what point does revoking rights remove the incentive to comply with society?