In
this post Happy Monkey makes a fine clear definition of what a "right" is. This idea is something we all think about, and the word suffers from some very different interpretations. I really like how Happy Monkey explains it. Nicely done sir.
Quote:
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Originally Posted by Happy Monkey
How you can exercise your rights always depends on who's calling the shots. But what you consider to be a right depends on you, and is largely based on culture. Your definition is nice, but ultimately useless. If both "stop at the red light" and "don't murder" are infringements of your rights, then "rights" are too abstract to be meaningful. You can't make a case against a law as infringing, because that's a given.
On the other hand, if you view a right as "something that no law ought to prevent me from doing", you can actually use the word in a useful way, as in "You should not ban handguns because of the right to keep and bear arms."
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Emphasis mine.