Is freedom a privilige or a right?

Answer 1

Neither.

Rights are powers that an individual possesses that are inherent to their existence; the power to walk, talk, work, think, etc. To be a right, the power cannot depend on any other person to provide the means of exercise.

A privilege is a power of an individual that DOES depend on others to provide in whole or in part. Medical care, for example, depends on the existence of medical facilities and personnel, and is therefore a privilege, not a right.

Freedom is neither of these, it is the status of living under a government that does not interfere with rights.

Answer 2

A right intrinsic to your existence. If it's a privilege, then you have no right to life or liberty - it's simply a gift of your government or your society. If freedom isn't a right, then slavery wasn't wrong. If freedom isn't a right, then the Jewish Holocaust wasn't wrong. Those two horrible blights on history would simply be removals of privilege. I hope nobody ever argues that freedom is a privilege.

P.S. There's no dispute that every government on the planet violates our rights in some way. There's no dispute that we're often put in the position of fighting for our rights. That does not mean that we're not owed those rights, though! A truth doesn't have to be believed or widely held for it to still be true. Rights don't have to be recognized or protected for those rights to be ours. It's not an American concept - it's human. People in Nigeria have as much right to freedom as we do; their government just isn't as respectful of it as ours is.

Answer 3

In 1933 Public Law changed from a constitutional justice system to a military Public policy one. That's why when you go to court the American flag has gold fringes. What that means is that before 1933 individuals had constitutional rights protected against the public, and afterward the rights you read in the constitution are now subject to public policy.

You can debate when your rights ended and how you and your children will never know what having true rights are but one thing is constant.

You only have those rights you are willing to fight for and can defend. It takes very few people to abridge your rights and usually without your knowledge and understanding.

When the WTO went to Seattle all rights were suspended that day and FEMA kept citizens jailed for quite sometime before releasing all the people. All the public meetings and outcry may have illicited all the apologies but the loss of rights there is still true today.

Answer 4

Its BOTH! Its an American birthright. But AS an American its our privilege to. Meaning when we have to defend our RIGHTS. Freedom isn't Free. Sometimes we have to defend our Freedom, and then its our privilege . (no I'm not a Bushie)
Go back and read the history of WWII and then you will know the difference.

Answer 5

Its a birthright for all Americans, it's no damn privileged. Only a Bushie would think that.

For below: So anyone that doesn't defend their privileged at war is what? That WWII comments made no sense. I was in the military, you have no freedom in the military. Why would you all of a sudden have freedom because its WWII? At least make it rational.

Answer 6

That's a tough question - I guess it's a right that can be lost?
If freedom was truly a right how would we punish those that break laws...murderers, thiefs, terrorists....etc. To punish them we take their freedom - but if it was a "right" how could we justify taking it from someone?

Answer 7

Freedom is a privilege. You can never expect it and it is indeed earned. Many people confuse this with having rights of freedom.

Answer 8

Ask any Gitmo prisoners, it's a privilege they wont be seeing for a while.