Rights AND Responsibilities

America is a great country. Those who founded our government realized the power of freedom and wrote it into our constitution. Since then many brave souls have lost their lives in battles to preserve the freedoms we enjoy today. Indeed we have many inalienable rights in this country. But with every right comes attached responsibility.

You have the right to say whatever you want in front of your children. You may curse in their presence. You do have that right. But you also have a responsibility to act as an adult in front of your children so they can learn to be responsible as well.

You have the right to drive a motor vehicle if you are properly licensed and insured. But you have a responsibility to drive that vehicle in a safe and controlled manor. If not, you can have your right revoked by law.

You have the right to yell FIRE! in a crowed room but you have the responsibility not to do so as it may cause people to be trampled, injured or killed in the resulting panic.

I hope this point is clear now. Rights and responsibilities are related and inseparable. You are responsible for how you use your rights.

So yes, you have the right to burn the holy book of another religion to make your point. Is it a responsible thing to do? Not if doing so will instill hatred and violence against others. Even the President and top Generals are saying it is not a responsible thing to do. I would suggest the responsible thing to do would be use your house of worship as a tool to help others rather than hurt them. Feed people, cloth them - not kill them. It is not your place to judge others - even though you do have that right.

You have the right to build a Mosque near ground zero in NYC. Is it the responsible thing to do? Well.........possibly not and there may be better choices - but in this case I say yes. Why is it different than burning a holy book? Because in this country we also have freedom of religion and I believe this group is being unfairly targeted by those who misinterpret religion as being the same as terrorism (see above example). It is responsible to promote equality - another right we have in this country. It is responsible to fight to have your right protected. These people are not passing judgment on others - they are simply trying to enjoy their freedom of religion.

Please - lets all be thankful for our rights and use them responsibly. It's not hard - just ask yourself that simple question. I have the right - but is it the responsible thing to do?