Give that man a cookie
I have REPEATEDLY pointed out that I believe that the rights are inherent in the individual.
No kidding, but you've never said why. I said as much quite awhile ago.
Not that they are granted by the government.
And my only point has been, from a practical application point of view, it doesn't matter
All the government can do is legalize or illegalize the expression of those rights.
Thank you for finally realizing it. *That's* why it doesn't matter
If "rights" are defined by the government, then individuals have no rights that aren't granted by the government.
A gross distortion of my point, but oh well...
But the government is composed of the individuals it governs. So the rights are legalized by the individuals seeking those rights.
Ahh...but now you are considering only a small sample. That's an ideal world where you have a circle between the governed and the governing so that the moral beliefs of the people and the legal rights of the people are in congruence.
What happens in a totalitarian state, or an anarchy dominated by gangs, where the government is *not* composed of those being governed. There are some many types of social structures, including forms of government, where that simple circle simply doesn't work, so what happens to a person's moral rights then?
"Unless you elevate what you think is right to the status of a "right", than it's not something you can use with present tense possesive verb because it has no meaning"
Of course it does. Unless you NEVER change your mind.
OK, I'll try with more explicit phrasing
Unless you take the time to go through the process of turning what you think is a moral right into a legally recognized right it doesn't matter whether you think you have that particular right or not because you will not be given the opportunity to exercise that right
