The Definition of a Right

Sunday, August 30, 2009
I am getting sick of people saying that healthcare is a right. It's not. This is America, you get what you pay for here. I know that notion is ever shrinking due to the expansion of government and the expansion of funds coming out of the taxpayer pocket to pay for those who choose to work less or go to school less than others. When people discuss rights, I must assume that they refer to the Bill of Rights. Perhaps people need to read these so they can see what is and is not a right. Note that only the first 10 are considered the Bill of Rights, the rest are further Consitutional Amendments. I'll include them all so that no one believes that I have left anything out on purpose. Here's a brief outline:
  1. religion/speech/press/assembly
  2. bear arms
  3. protection from quartering of troops
  4. unreasonable search and seizure
  5. due process/double jeopardy/self-incrimination/eminent domain
  6. confront accuser/speedy trial/public trial/right to counsel
  7. trial by jury
  8. excessive bail/cruel or unusual punishment
  9. other rights not listed
  10. power of the states
  11. sovereign immunity
  12. election proceedures
  13. abolition of slavery
  14. applies bill of rights to states, denies public office to rebels
  15. suffrage by race
  16. allows federal income tax
  17. direct election to US Senate
  18. prohibition of alcohol
  19. womens sufferage
  20. lame duck (congressional term commencement)
  21. repeal of 18th amendment
  22. limits presidential terms to 2
  23. representation of Washington D.C. in electoral college
  24. prohibition of restriction of voting rights due to non payment of poll taxes
  25. presidential succession
  26. voting age
  27. variance of congressional compensation
There they are, in all their glory, the rights given to us as citizens of the United States. Healthcare isn't on there. I'm sure the liberals will try to shove it into the 9th amendment just like they did abortion. It clearly wasn't intended to be a right, it doesn't even fit in with the rest of the categories. If the founding fathers wanted to ensure our rights to health don't you think they would first give us the right to food and safety? They didn't, they expected us to provide these things for ourselves, as adults, in a capitalist country. Most of the rights are actually things that the government cannot do, such as prohibit the free practice of religion, the right to assemble, etc... as opposed to the things that the government must do. The way the country was originally (and correctly) structured most of the regulatory functions were in the hands of the states, not the federal government.

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