Rights and Responsibilities: written by me: 18 April 2004

Every person has a right to life, a right to freedom of association, a right to freedom of religion, a right to liberty, a right to travel, a right to protection by the state, a right to equality, a right to an education, a right to freedom of speech.

However, along with these rights come certain responsibilities:

• A right to life implies the duty or responsibility to protect that right; the responsibility not to endanger the lives of others (without their consent); the responsibility not to murder; the responsibility not to violate others’ space, is not to commit adultery and not to steal;

• A right to freedom of association implies the duty not to interfere with another’s organisation, unless it is physically interfering with you or endangering your way of life;

• A right to freedom of speech implies the responsibility not to incite hate, not to cheat another person, not to lie and not to gossip;

• A right to liberty implies that some people might be in different positions to our positions, may have a better way of life, or may have a different way of life. We must not be greedy for this way of life, but rather honour it and if our inclination is such, strive for a similar way of life through honest and hard work, conscientious application of our selves, aiming for 100% in everything we do; and thus enjoying the fruits of our labours, whether these be monetary or spiritually;

• A right to freedom of religion implies the duty to respect and admire other peoples’ religions and their choices in life;

• A right to an education implies the responsibility to study and attend school;

* A right to hospital care implies the responsibility to be as healthy as possible;

* A right to drive a car implies the responsibility to behave on the roads.

Love,
David.