I have found that it is best to think about rights (including Civil Rights) in relation to Freedom.
These 2 concepts -- rights and freedom -- seem to often be confused and mixed up by many people I talk to or
whom I have listened to. Some people seem to use the words as if they were synonyms -- as if they meant the same thing. They
are NOT synonyms and they do NOT mean the same thing. They have very very different meanings, and it is important to know the
difference; and to keep these two ideas separate in your mind.
Freedom is something you either have or something which has been taken away from you. Rights are something that are
granted to you (by someone or some entity which takes away freedom).
Often, people who talk about rights are either trying to confuse you or are confused themselves.
The word right is often used as a euphemism in cases where the speaker wants to hide the fact that a person's freedom is
being taken away. (Many times, it is the person speaking who will be the one taking away your freedom.) Although, sometimes the speaker is NOT
even aware of the fact that this is the case but is only perpetuating the confusion which they are a victim of.
Civil Rights seem to have 2 purposes. The first is that Civil Rights seem to be an attempt to protect
certain freedoms from being taken away by governments. (History seems to show that Civil Rights have NOT been very
effective in doing this in the long term.)
The second purpose of Civil Rights seems to be an attempt to fix problems produced by other laws (which take away
freedom). Often this second purpose of Civil Rights is accomplished by taking away yet more freedom.
Those who would (absurdly) take away freedom: to protect freedom, in the name of security, for society,
for the greater good, or for any other purpose should pay attention to these sayings....
The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
The ends do NOT justify the means.