Death Penalty

[Kyuuketsuki]

I don't really believe in rights at all let alone ones that are inalienable. Rights don't exist unless someone can defend/enforce them.

Well obviously rights are a concept we've created and try to apply to society.

Better ... I now tend to think of rights as devolving from responsibilities so I have the responsibility to ensure you (and others) have freedom of speech as do you and that that is what gives us all the perceived "right" to free speech.

I think any government should do everything within their power to recognize that people should have a right to life, a right to free speech, right to assemble, etc..., and that the government should do their best to enforce these standards.

Not sure about that ... I certainly would prefer to live under an administration that went that way. I suppose my problem is that such "rights" are too idealistic for me.

Obviously nobody can guarantee life, but a government should recognize that nobody is justified in taking another's life, saving extreme circumstances.

I think I would prefer to say that we all have the responsibility to try and ensure each of us stays alive, in good health and reasonable standard of living ... a kind of duty of care thing.

In the end I guess I'm just unhappy with the whole idea of innate or inalienable rights or indeed a culture that perceives them to be somehow independent of responsibility (which I think many in our society do).

Kyu