Diary of an Average Dude

There is a great debate in America today about so-called "basic human rights". The Declaration Of Independence famously lists "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" among them. The US Constitution adds several others, such as self-defense (2nd Amendment), conscience (1st Amendment), and property (4th and 5th Amendments). But what about health care? Housing? Employment? Food? Are these also "basic human rights"? A good test of whether something is a basic right or not is to consider whether it is a right that exists in the absence of government. For example, if you were alone on a deserted island, do you have the right to worship (or not) as you choose? Yes. Then worship, as part of conscience, is a basic human right. The government does not and cannot grant this right. It can only curtail it. What about self-defense? Certainly, if you have a right to life, you have a right to defend that life. Therefore, this is a basic human right. The governmen...

In response to the recent mass shootings in El Paso and Dayton... We remove God from society and wonder why there are atrocities. We say there is no morality and no truth but your own, and wonder why there is cruelty. We place no value on the lives of the young, the old, or the sick, and wonder why there is murder. We tell young men they are toxic and their opinions are valueless, and we wonder why they act out. We elevate fame over decency and wonder why there are outrageous acts. We destroy the church, the neighborhood, and the family, and wonder why some feel isolated. We elevate group identity over individuals and wonder why there is bigotry and hatred. We tell people to “do what feels good to you”, and wonder how they can be so callous to others. Stop wondering. The answers are before us.