It’s disgusting to see how words that should be respected and revered in our society are thrown around like they have no meaning. In politics specifically, we constantly hear of our basic human rights, but far too many of these “rights” we have no right to at all.
You do not have the right to health care. Despite what the democratic candidates for president might be saying these days, God never gave us a right to the luxury of health care and comfort. John Kerry recently said in a campaign speech, “Health care will not be merely the rhetoric of a campaign, not a promise made and lost … we will at long-last make health care available and affordable a right, not a privilege for every American in our country.” Appealing to a sense of human rights is good politics, but not good sense – do not be fooled.
You do not have a right to education.
You do not have a right to good food, though welfare is attempting to take care of that.
In the midst of problems in the economy, we hear from politicians who speak of a “right” to employment. There is no right to a good job.
What is the common problem with all of these so-called “rights”? Each one requires that the government facilitate and provide for these “rights” – something that is not the government’s role.
The issue is not that providing food, health care, employment and education is a problem, except for it being unconstitutional. The issue is that if a government were to provide these social services, it brings everyone down to the lowest common denominator in quality.
Just look at health care in Britain and Canada – it’s a wreck. Looking at the quality of the rest of our government, I somehow don’t see how food and government-funded nutrition would be any better.
Additionally, it’s insane to say that we all have a right to employment unless you want to open up the possibility that everyone work for federal and state governments. FDR took a stab at it, but our government was never intended to create and retain programs that employ millions.
Lastly, America is already an example of what happens when we look at education as a human right – our government educational system is in shambles.
In a free society, responsible people are required to help those less fortunate through charity, but when government assumes the role of charity organizations, a dangerous road is ahead.
You do not have a right to spam-free e-mail. You do not have a right to a salesmen-free phone line. You do not have a right to employment, food, health care or education. These things can be provided through a free market and the generosity of others, but it’s not the government’s role to provide them, unless you want a full-blown United Socialist States of America.
Moreover, when society seriously claims that these are “rights,” you trivialize real human rights like free speech, freedom of religion and freedom of association – three examples of human rights that are under threat daily in our nation.
The preamble to the Constitution speaks of securing the “blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity.” Too many today whine for phony human rights and are thereby degrading the blessings of liberty to themselves, their peers and the generations who follow them.
The bottom line is this: Do the people of America plan on being selfish – demanding these social services – or will they be responsible by laying these things on the free market and charity. One system has worked in the past, the other doesn’t work – you decide.
