“Government is law – law which allows society to grow and flourish. Its terms and specific properties derive from an anterior social reality, not the other way around. It is a set of “ground rules” or agreed upon procedures, found in the course of their history to be reasonable and conducive to the general happiness or those whom it binds. Even the meaning of the word “liberty” is restricted by these rules.” – Mel E. Bradford
When Kant defined “rights” he was basically saying, “There are no divine rights”. I challenge you to find one in The Bible (or any other religious book). All rights are political in nature and not abstract, divine, or inalienable. Jefferson was one of our country’s greatest thinkers, but his words in the Declaration of Independence were dangerously wrong. If we have the divine right to “life” why do we die? If we have a divine right to liberty, why did God allow his “chosen people” to be dragged off into slavery? Remember, the word “inalienable” means “can not be taken away for any reason”. I think that it’s “self-evident” that Jefferson was wrong.
Rights come from political institutions and are only valid for as long as the political institution survives. An example of the real right is the “right to drive an automobile”. The government says that if you obey the traffic laws, pass a test to show your ability to drive correctly, and pay your car taxes it will extend to you the “right to drive a car”. If you fail to do any of those three things that “right” is taken away from you. It even can be extended to economics. If I agree to give the guy at the counter $7.00 at Burger King, he extends to me the “right” to eat his double meat whopper with cheese, fires, and a coke.
