Jorddyn
03-01-2007, 01:25 AM
Disclaimer: I am (quite obviously) not a Constitutional scholar.
I once heard the statement that one of the biggest problem with our country is that it's based around rights rather than responsibilities. At the time, I thought it sounded a bit Communist (for the greater good!), but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes to me.
Re: Gun thread - We have the right to keep and bear arms. Why does it not also state that we have the responsibility to be careful with them? Why does it not state that we have the responsibility to learn about them before we buy an arsenal?
So, it got me thinking. Here is my new version of the ten commandments. Or Bill of Rights. Or whatever.
1. You have the right to speak freely. You have the responsibility to not be a dumbass and scream "FIRE" in a crowded theater, or "OMG JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE" in the middle of a mob of 13 year old girls.
2. You have the right to bear arms. You have the responsibility to not be a dumbass and shoot your best friend in the kneecap.
3. You have the right to your property. You have the responsibility to help maintain public property. Yes, this means you have to pay taxes. See, now it's in the Constitution. Stop objecting. Dumbass.
4. You have the right to not be searched without cause. You have the responsibility to not provide cause. So stop breaking the law, dumbass.
5. You have the right to due process and freedom from double jeopardy. You have the responsibility to not abuse this process and appeal 18 times when we have your DNA, a video of you committing the crime, a dozen witnesses including your mother, and the victim who has known you for over a decade all incriminating you.
6. You have the right to a trial by jury. You have the responsibility to perform jury duty so long as you are not a dumbass.
7. You have the right to a civil trial by jury. You have the responsibility to perform jury duty, and to not award billion dollar paydays in the hopes that someday someone will return the favor. You also have the responsibility to not sue for something you did/caused/said because you are a dumbass.
8. You have the right to avoid cruel and unusual punishment. You have the responsibility to understand that punishment is, by nature, not fun. You have the responsibility to suck it up, get it over with, and not do it again. Dumbass.
9. You have rights that haven't been spelled out here. You have the responsibility to understand that these rights are in fact limited. You also have responsibilities not spelled out here. Don't be a dumbass.
10. Anything we haven't spelled out here is to be determined by your state. It is your responsibility to either try to change your state's laws, or move if you don't like them.
And, because I feel like adding it...
11. You have the right to your own body - do whatever you want with it. You have the responsibility to not effect other people's bodies. Do as your mom said, and keep your hands to yourself. Dumbass.
Yup, that should about do it.
Problem solved.
Jorddyn, not usually a dumbass
I once heard the statement that one of the biggest problem with our country is that it's based around rights rather than responsibilities. At the time, I thought it sounded a bit Communist (for the greater good!), but the more I think about it, the more sense it makes to me.
Re: Gun thread - We have the right to keep and bear arms. Why does it not also state that we have the responsibility to be careful with them? Why does it not state that we have the responsibility to learn about them before we buy an arsenal?
So, it got me thinking. Here is my new version of the ten commandments. Or Bill of Rights. Or whatever.
1. You have the right to speak freely. You have the responsibility to not be a dumbass and scream "FIRE" in a crowded theater, or "OMG JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE" in the middle of a mob of 13 year old girls.
2. You have the right to bear arms. You have the responsibility to not be a dumbass and shoot your best friend in the kneecap.
3. You have the right to your property. You have the responsibility to help maintain public property. Yes, this means you have to pay taxes. See, now it's in the Constitution. Stop objecting. Dumbass.
4. You have the right to not be searched without cause. You have the responsibility to not provide cause. So stop breaking the law, dumbass.
5. You have the right to due process and freedom from double jeopardy. You have the responsibility to not abuse this process and appeal 18 times when we have your DNA, a video of you committing the crime, a dozen witnesses including your mother, and the victim who has known you for over a decade all incriminating you.
6. You have the right to a trial by jury. You have the responsibility to perform jury duty so long as you are not a dumbass.
7. You have the right to a civil trial by jury. You have the responsibility to perform jury duty, and to not award billion dollar paydays in the hopes that someday someone will return the favor. You also have the responsibility to not sue for something you did/caused/said because you are a dumbass.
8. You have the right to avoid cruel and unusual punishment. You have the responsibility to understand that punishment is, by nature, not fun. You have the responsibility to suck it up, get it over with, and not do it again. Dumbass.
9. You have rights that haven't been spelled out here. You have the responsibility to understand that these rights are in fact limited. You also have responsibilities not spelled out here. Don't be a dumbass.
10. Anything we haven't spelled out here is to be determined by your state. It is your responsibility to either try to change your state's laws, or move if you don't like them.
And, because I feel like adding it...
11. You have the right to your own body - do whatever you want with it. You have the responsibility to not effect other people's bodies. Do as your mom said, and keep your hands to yourself. Dumbass.
Yup, that should about do it.
Problem solved.
Jorddyn, not usually a dumbass