Rights And Responsibilities

This is cool. It needs to be understood that freedom means responsibility. If you aren’t free to fail, you aren’t free. This, I think, explains a lot about the types of folks who are most attracted to self governance. The Protestant work ethic ain’t no baseless stereotype. As with all stereotypes, it’s born of observation.

You absolutely have a right to speech. This is an extension of the right to think. What good is a thought if you are banned from uttering it out loud. You’re responsible for everything that comes out of your mouth, at all times. That means honoring your word when you say you’re going to do something. It means telling lies will cost you dearly in credibility. It means that lying maliciously about another person without proof of claim, will get you sued. I could go on but clearly we can get ourselves into big trouble if we refuse to speak carefully.

You have an absolute right to protect life and property. It’s self evident that self defense is righteous and absolutely moral. In fact, I would say, you have a moral obligation to defend your own life, your property, and any innocent who is being attacked. This comes with great responsibility, far more than speech. That’s why it’s a right not practiced by all, but all benefit from those who do. You have no legal protection for mistakes. If you act rash and in a foolish manner that ends a life, you will surely regret it. This means not drinking while others are. This means deescalation at every opportunity. This means fist fighting is almost impossible. It means being instantly interrogated by hostile police. It means possible civil charges. It could even mean your life if things go south.

You have a right to property, and to labor for anything agreeable to you and whatever other party. You owe nobody for the right to labor. To mix your time, skills, and the world, and amass property for it. Ownership means you have the right to do whatever you wish with, or on, said property. You owe nobody for the right to use your property on the peoples roads to get to wherever you aim to be. Your only obligation is to your fellow travelers. Acting in a way that damages person or property will result in serious problems. Just as you have the absolute right to property, you have no right to expect it from anyone. If you can’t attain property through voluntary exchange, you will be most uncomfortable. There will always be charities but they usually require behavior changes. Daddy welfare incentivizes the most sick behavior. They punish the productive, and support the freerider. The level of debauchery achieved by welfare is truly staggering. This responsibility keeps families together, friends together, and generally better people. If you know that the good will of your community is all you have if a disaster strikes, you treat that community with respect.

These are just a few examples, but the simple truth is clear as day. Freedom is about responsibility. Not some adolescent, libertine, and hedonistic nonsense. Armed societies are polite societies. The more responsibility we take in our lives, the freer we will be.