Have you ever given any thought to what “Natural Rights” are?
Over the years I have put a great deal of effort into such questions. Studying both the questions to get to a place of understanding but also understanding the implications of accepting and or rejecting the answers.
In the world today we find that many reject out of hand any answer that would include a spiritual answer. Always I challenge everyone to take any belief you have and trace it back as far as you can. To be honest it does not matter if you are a believer or not. What we believe most certainly is never fully self-born.
Our beliefs are born out of our circumstances, our upbringing, our education and even our willingness or unwillingness to think critically and follow the evidence where it leads.
Then once we get to that end, we must employ wisdom to act accordingly. Wisdom… It is sorely and woefully missing from not only our leaders it is missing in spades societally.
And it is to that end that I often find myself touched by something I see, hear, or read that prompts me to get out the proverbial shovel and start digging for answers.
As a nation we are dealing with serious government overreach. And with that overreach the question of natural rights keeps coming to the fore front of my mind. I likewise hope that it comes to the mind of you, the reader, and just as frequently.
This may be the issue of our lifetime as the Civil Rights movement was the issue of my parents’ life. Many of that generation stood up and fought for the freedom of others. They marched peacefully, demonstrated, or simply and most powerfully accepted those who were different as equals.
And that movement for rights was, is and will always be about a man’s natural rights. Those rights that are inherent to man universally. In order to understand the full force of natural rights you should have an idea where such rights come from.
When we are born, we have the right to breathe, to cry, to be cared for, to be treated with care and compassion. My wife and I have four kids. When they were born, I could not grant them any natural rights. They were bestowed on them the moment they came into this world. In fact, their right to life was inherent with them at the moment they came into being in the womb!
If this is true and I believe it to be true and have seen enough evidence to confirm it many times over. Who gave them, you, and I these rights?
Before I answer that I must also notice that I have rights my children at their birth did not have. I for example have the right to vote! They, as infants, however, do not have a vote. But that is because that right will be bestowed upon them when they reach the required age. The same with driving and a host of other issues that we as a people have agreed upon.
Those sorts of rights are known as laws. And that is one of the greatest things about living in America, we are a nation (at least we used to be) that understands natural rights, what they are, where they come from and why we recognize them in all human beings regardless of where they live in the world.
Freedom for example, we understand Freedom is a natural right. In the preamble our own Declaration of Independence we find this truth. “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.”
Such a powerful and thoughtful truth. Let’s look at and consider a few things about this. First, I deduce that this statement was believed to be so important and universally held that it had to be the first thing the King to whom it was intended would read.
Why put this first? In those days it was commonly held at least among Kings that they were divine or as close to it as possible and thus their judgement was not to be questioned. See if this reminds you of anything or any particular time in America.
The King wildly taxed the residents of the New World (What would become the USA) and those tax dollars went to the Kingdom but little to nothing was used of those funds to help the people of this new world.
Long story short, we as a people got fed up, we stood up and liberated ourselves from that tyranny. Hmmm, I wonder…. Never mind I should not go down that rabbit hole.
In this liberation we had a group of leaders that came together and put together our founding documents which I encourage everyone to read and know.
Even a casual reading will certainly enlighten and educate you to what those men understood to be not only true but universal and it is in those two lanes that we find that all people have what they called “unalienable Rights”!
Unlike pop culture at times, the words that were chosen for our founding documents were often carefully chosen. And when it comes to our rights that phrase is one of these. In that vein these rights are unable to be taken away from you or I, nor can we give them away.
If we have rights that cannot be given or taken from us, then what right grants another to violate our freedom?
None!
Evil men and women will find cause to violate them because evil denies that natural rights exist. The evil might say well you no longer are afforded that right because it affects me or someone else. This is unequivocally false.
Here is why I can say that. We have the right to own a gun, to go to church, to worship the Creator or the Created. It is your right to bow before and pray to a tree if that is what you think you need. What you cannot do is make by decree or force another to do the same.
That is a violation of their rights. There is an old saying and it is not completely applicable well it is, but others will try to twist it to serve their end which is yet another violation even of the intent of the saying. It goes something like this, “Your rights end where my rights begin”.
As we consider that a growingly tyrannical government is increasingly guilty of violating our rights by forcing mandates on the people. For those who would argue that seatbelt laws, other vaccine rules we have, or the like are proof that the current mandates are not uncommon violations. You forget that as a nation of laws that we agree to live by those laws. They have been tried and proven.
And just so we are all on the same page a “mandate” is not a duly passed law! Only congress can do that. After all it is their job. They do not do their job very often, but it remains a sturdy truth that a law is passed, and a mandate is forced.
While I was not involved in the seat belt law, I do know that as a nation of laws we must respect the laws that are passed. And if we do not like the law and there are enough of us, we can get it changed. For example, when I was growing up the interstate speed was fifty-five before that it was much higher. Due to a large number of wrecks people felt that the speed limit was too high, and it got lowered. Now today seventy is the normal interstate speed. Same with the seatbelt laws. I grew up without them, not wearing them and I never was touched by the time I was legal driving age seatbelts were the law of the land. In the end, if I get in my car and choose not to click that seat belt, I remain free and can be free of the seatbelt if I wish. Sure, I may have to pay a fine, but at no time will the government or someone else try to destroy me because of that choice. Remember that it is important.
I am not against vaccines; I have had all my childhood vaccinations. But someone else made those choices for me, my parents. It was their right as the ones who brought me into this world. A couple of my children we at the right age to be offered a chickenpox vaccine and some kind of cancer vaccine.
None of my kids got them, not because we do not love them. Cancer is not common to any branch in our family tree, so my wife and I did not see any reason to put medicine into the bodies of our children that was both new and without long term data to back up their safety.
For my wife and I it was love that drove our choice not to put that medicine into our kids.
Back then the doctor gave us a recommendation. She felt that they were pretty safe, but that preapproval data was good and gave us some ideas for educating ourselves on any potential risks.
Everything in this life comes with risk. If you take a walk there is a chance you could fall, get bitten by a stray animal, depending on where you live you might take the chance of getting shot. In the end, nothing is without some kind of risk and each person must evaluate the risk for themselves and make the best-informed decision for themselves.
With that in mind. Why is it that with this virus that the entire world or at least most in leadership and way too many have been willing to give up their rights and try to force their choice on others against their will?
This is not simply wrong it is Evil! And it is causing such severe anger on both sides of the debate. I am not angry; I am measured but I am adamantly stern about where I stand and will not be moved!
You cannot violate my person without my permission. That right nor any natural right was given by you. You have NO natural right to do anything to me against my will that violates my body.
Our rights were God given at our birth and will cease when we die. This is what the whole of America held to be true. I am not sure about you, but my rights were certainly not given by a bunch of jackasses at the Statehouse or Whitehouse or any other house.
Even from the founding of America our founders believed that these rights we have were not just rights for Americans. They held that these rights were universal. That these are the rights of every man woman and child on Earth. If you are not one that holds this view let me, ask you. Why can’t you get behind the idea that “All People” are equal and have the exact same rights? If you cannot get behind this idea, then maybe you are part of the problem and not part of the solution? Maybe deep down you feel that you are somehow either better or more deserving? If that is the case, then you wear in your soul the classic definition of being a racist.
In the way that slavery violated that right of self-determination, so too is a forced vaccine.
Each one of us has only our own rights. I have no right to violate yours. You have no right to violate mine. We can as we do agree to live under agreed upon laws that govern us all equally. And I get it we may not all agree about each and every law. I remind you that I am not a fan of seatbelt laws. And for full disclosure, there are a lot of laws that I find intrusive, contradictory to other laws and on and on. And I am sure a lot of you feel the same way.
For those times like those we have but three choices. Do nothing, ignore the law and pay the fine or do the time or get involved and work to change them. Marijuana is a perfect example. I was a heavy user as a young man and wanted it to be legal back then. It wasn’t and I broke the law as many did. But many of those folks grew up and got involved and worked to change the laws. That is America and that is how it should work.
If you agree to have something done to your person, take medicine or an illegal substance it is your right. And if you like it so much you think others should do it. You are free to ask but if they say no, you have NO right to force or mandate your choice on another.
We used to talk as a nation about walking a mile in the other person's shoes. In case you’re not familiar with it, it's an expression that calls for each person to really understand another's situation and more still. We are to gain that understanding by putting ourselves into that situation to think about as if we are in the exact same situation.
I believe if you carry it to its fullest intention we should think of the other person's situation in terms of our very own lives. While simultaneously weaving in the specific life situation. While understanding our limited ability to fully know the extent of the situation on that person.
For the sake of argument let’s say that you want your friend or a stranger or me to take something (a pill or vaccine) and that person refuses. Maybe they have a personal health condition that complicates their choice?
If you have walked a mile in their shoes you would have to realize you cannot fully experience that situation through that person’s personal filters and recognize that and acknowledge that we have no way of knowing what decision we may or may not make if we were in that same situation having the exact personal experience and feelings that build our personal filters.
We can only surmise what we may do if in a similar situation. With that just as our choice is made within the confines of our own life experiences, we must likewise confess that we are not that person and have not lived their life and as such we are incapable of fully knowing what drives their choice.
Consider our governments record with truthfulness in dealing with vaccines and diseases. Consider the Tuskegee Syphilis Study! The study was intended to observe the natural history of untreated syphilis. As part of the study, researchers did not collect informed consent from participants and they did not offer treatment, even though a treatment was widely available. Forty years this went on. How many people were negatively affected? Do you know? Do you care? Do you understand that whether they lie by withholding treatment or by forcing treatment without full disclosure of potential issues they violate human rights?
Obviously in today’s environment, both cultural and political, there is a common misconception that the weight of what appears to be good is or should be allowed to determine one’s rights.
Let me carry this out to a silly degree for a moment. There is a study out of my head that demonstrates that people who listen to heavy laden guitars like found in most early heavy metal is good for you. It decreases blood pressure, and the study finds that those who listen to this music at disturbingly high volumes have increased energy, have either weight gain or loss getting both the obese and the anorexic into their optimum weight and one other noted side effect is that those who participated in the study were found to be happier and with less stress.
With the release of this study, I will begin installing four walls of speakers on the outside of my house and will play Megadeth, Ted Nugent, Led Zeppelin, Deep Purple, Metallica, and similar bands at 155.8 decibels which was determined to be the optimum listening level.
You are my neighbor! You want the medicine; I know you do! Wait, no, you do not want to wake up to Scream Dream at 155.8 decibels or go to sleep to Sanitarium at the same volume?
Well, the fact is if you do not want it, then you are a danger to society and could pose a terrible burden on the healthcare system. I think you need this, and you are going to get it. In fact, I have just been informed that our government is going to install such speakers in every community and play non-stop metal in every community day and night. What a joy life will be when we are all listening to the same thing and getting the benefits.
Silly and stupid I know, but you are using the same arguments to try and force your family, friends, and neighbors to take medicine they either do not want or need.
And this brings us to what I feel may be the most important part of walking a mile is someone else’s shoes.
Respect!
Think of it like this. Your child is allergic to peanuts. The reactions could kill them or make them violently sick, there is a chance that some damage may be permanent.
And for the past two years a deadly virus has invaded the world. The good news is there is this new cure for a contagious disease that spreads like the flu but is like cancer in many respects. But the problem is the cure is peanut based.
Even if the research said it was pretty safe for those with peanut allergies. And we get to the place we are today by forcing people to take medicine against their will.
Are you going to rush to take it? Would you still force your child who is allergic to peanuts to take it?
What would you think if someone who said you or your child needed to be left to die if you got the disease because you didn't take the cure?
That kind of reaction which is what we are seeing now and it lacks respect for others, but it also demonstrates a lack of decency and compassion. This lack of consideration for others is pushing us to a place that very few will come back from.
I see it all around me. People are walking on an emotional razor blade.
I hate to say it, I even hate thinking about it. For several years, I have spoken privately to close confidants that I see another horrible fracture of our country coming in the not-so-distant future.
I saw it plain as day then, sadly today I see it as being even closer than ever.
America if we don't stand up soon and hold the reins of our Democracy demonstrating that we have both wisdom and compassion required for this day then we will see a bloody and dark future!
If we do nothing, that powder keg I saw back so long ago is on some seriously shaky ground is going explode and the devastation is going to surpass the bloodshed and loss of life she suffered during her first civil war.
I hope that though we may disagree about any matter we will be wise enough to realize that our disagreements cannot be worth the loss regardless of what side of this issue we are on.
If you are a person who genuinely believes that because of someone's point of view, their sex, sexuality, their age or ethnicity, political leaning or whatever else you disagree with deserves to be silenced and or ruined so they conform. You are throwing lit matches at that powder keg.
Ask yourself this. Is what I believe so much a part of your soul that you are willing to silence and or destroy those who disagree with your opinion?
Know this! If you think that way, you do not understand human nature. You also have an incredible lack of understanding of history and its real purpose. If you know history, you learn not to make the same mistake. If you neglect history, you will make the same mistake. Everyone has a breaking point and I see way, way too many people not just walking on that razor edge but teetering off balance.
Let’s all be honest for a moment; we need leaders who are sane leading this country. He'll at this point I think most people would settle for somewhat normal. And there are less than a handful of people who are currently in office I would trust. How about you?
One thing is as sure as the rising and setting of the sun. If we do nothing or say nothing. If we fail to rise to this most crucial moment or our life, then we are as much to blame for the coming devastation as anyone. It would be as if they lit the match, and we pushed their hand closer to the danger.
Let's come together, pull the hand back and gently blow the match out.
No matter who we are, we have too much to live for. Much goodness to live and give. Much joy to share and life to live to let an exceedingly small portion of our society destroy it for us all.
Let's challenge each other to live with respect for others and at peace no matter what each other’s position. Let's agree where we can and agree to disagree but remain respectful when we can't.
From Where the Eagle Soars
Steven
Sir,
"I will not be MOVED"! Each time I receive an alert to your writings I immediately stop and engage in reading your beautiful work! Throughout the many many years I do believe fervently that the Lord does have his hand protecting us and loving us but a lot of us refuse to see that and accept that into our hearts. There have been many geo-political outside forces working on this country like an onion peeling in a part one layer at a time until they get to the heart of it. Well in my opinion those outside forces are extremely close to getting to the heart and destroying our country from within. I truly believe this! They say death By A Thousand cuts. I will say is I approach my 53rd year in the Lord's Grace giving me life I have learned so very much. The old adage says love conquers everything and I find this to be true. Sir, thank you for everything that you do your brilliant writing which I knew from very very early on was exceptional. Please continue the great work that you do may God bless you and your family and thank you.