Real Rights

"We have a right to free health care." "We have a right to drive."

My main concern is that too many people have mixed up what is considered a right and what is a privilege.

A right is a privilege granted to an individual without any prerequisite and are considered inalienable. It cannot be taken away without just cause and due process.

A privilege by itself is conveyed onto an individual provided that they meet certain prerequisites and can be taken away at anytime that the individual does not meet these requirements or if the individual abuses the given privilege.

In the United States the Bill of Rights conveys the rights specificaly outlined by our forefathers. They considered these rights to be god-given and could not be taken away by mere man. They decided these rights needed to be put into writing to keep the government from becoming another monarchy where governmental power was concentrated into a ruling class.

Some may argue that health care is a right because of the "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness" phrase in the Declaration of Independence. What they fail to understand is the government does do that in the form of Medicaid/Medicare, but these agencies are for those that cannot provide for themselves. Those that are able to provide for themselves have the option of private insurers.

All rights are important to the people of the United States. One thing that most people do not realize is that each one of the original rights described in the Bill of Rights is dependent on the other. If one of them is taken away then the rest will start to have no meaning and the people will slowly have no way to control their government.