Who Has What?

A local talk radio guy that I'm usually in much agreement with made a statement regarding those freaks with Westboro Baptist Ministries who preach the whole "God Hates Fags" thing and go and disrupt funerals of anybody they don't feel was worthy of life. In regards to the nine year old girl that was shot down and murdered in Tucson this past weekend, the holy rollers planned to attend her funeral and create a scene as the girl's family tried to lay her to rest. There was talk that the group was going to be banned. It was then said by the talk radio guy that while he despises the actions of the Jesus freaks that he was concerned about banning their free speech, which I'm sure many flag waving Americans would agree with. But let me pose this question... Does a family not have a right to bury their loved one(s) in peace? I have a very sneaking suspicion that when our forefathers developed our "rights" that they figured society wouldn't be chiseled down so far that nutjobs like these would exist, nor would the rights they developed be designed to defend such idiocy.

The concept of "rights" is abused and twisted every day in our courtrooms and life in general. I hear smokers who are slowly being corralled away from the public complain by screaming out, "I have the right to smoke wherever I want!" But I counter that with, "What about my right to breathe clean air?" People want their rights regardless of how it impacts others. I don't know if this is an isolated issue in America or not, but I think it is one of the things that really makes us unpopular amongst our international peers. People are so full of entitlements because of "their rights".

"I have a right to raise my family however I want." No you don't. You have a responsibility to raise them safely and to provide them with the best life you can.

"I have a right to say whatever I want to whoever I want!" My only response is that I should then have the right to hit you in the face as hard as I want if you are screaming at me, insulting me, or disrupting my life with your words.

With rights comes responsibility. I think that thought has somehow been left behind and it's a shame is wasn't worded that way when we were handed down our "rights" written in a world 200 years ago when people had no clue how ridiculous American society would become.