Rights and Responsibilities
Our Rights
As citizens of the United States, we are blessed. Our founding documents acknowledge the reality that our rights are unalienable and are to be protected, not attacked by the government.
The Declaration of Independence states:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. –That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed…”
Current Societal Trends
In the increasingly contentious atmosphere of our nation, it has seemingly become acceptable to attack the rights of those with whom one disagrees. Freedom of religion, the press, speech, assembly, and the petitioning of grievances (first amendment rights), along with others are under attack.
Identity politics, labeling, and the demonizing of opposition have shut down civil discourse and our willingness to consider and value different opinions. We are increasingly polarized along political, ethnic, socioeconomic, generational, and other lines. It has become fashionable to dehumanize others rather than value and esteem them, even if we disagree with them. For some, it has become fashionable to advocate for genocide.
Our Responsibilities
Liberty and justice are part of our national fabric. So too must compassion and dignity be woven into our national conscience. Governments must respect the rights of all people. Governments must also recognize that the rights of one individual or group may at times conflict with those of another individual or group. When there is conflict, dignity and respect play a vital role in peaceably and amicably arriving at a solution.
We do not have the right to not be offended. There must not be governmental power that forces an individual or group to abandon their fundamental beliefs and rights for the sake of another “feeling better.” In a truly free society, there will be conflicts. In a compassionate and respectful culture, we can allow for and respect others with whom we disagree.
As an example, our right to free speech comes with the responsibility to be respectful of others who may have a different perspective, experience, or value system.
Our freedom of religion gives us the right to practice and express our religious beliefs. Those who find our beliefs to be at odds with theirs need not associate with us nor attend our gatherings. When we meet in public, we should afford others the dignity of living our their faith and practice while we peaceably live out ours.
We have a responsibility to respect and protect one another’s rights without forcing conformity upon another. We can agree to disagree and peaceably coexist. In a free society, there must be freedom to think and live differently without fear of violence, exclusion, or persecution of some sort.
Liberty and justice, compassion and dignity are not mutually exclusive. They are pillars of a just, free, and prosperous society.