Fundamental Human Rights

[iron_chef_bbq]

To paraphrase from a NH State senator speaking yesterday, "The most fundamental human right, and I know you all agree with me, is

Comments

[orichalcum]

It's interesting. I've done a fair amount of thinking and writing about Roman citizenship (which the American founders drew on heavily.) In my view, the first and most fundamental right of being a Roman citizen is the right not to be raped. (This is true for both men and women, one of the differences between their culture and ours.) (Conversely, and more darkly, there is an implied right to rape non-citizens.) This is notable because, legendarily, all of the major Roman republican revolutions happen when some elite person tries to rape a citizen, and the common people rise up and demand more power and rights in response

[iron_chef_bbq]

So Interesting.

[orichalcum]

Sorry to go off on this - just something I've been thinking about. And sadly, I don't think most American women think they have a right not to be raped - not when our culture tells us that the burden rests on us to walk in groups and not go out at night and wear modest clothing and then hope for the best...

[mrw42]

I would have said "free speech", under which I would be including freedom of expression, and the freedom be (and express) who you are and what you think.

Um, self-defense wouldn't even have made my list. And, certainly not the "right" to kill someone who threatens me in a situation where I have the option of running away...

[foldedfish]

"I’m pretty sure that the rebels in Libya weren’t shooting people in the streets to win the fundamental right to shoot people in the streets."
This phrasing is so sly and clever that it's almost too easy to overlook the solid wisdom that's also captured in this observation. Thanks for this!