QOD

Filed in National by on July 12, 2008

Why is voting a right, baring arms a right, but driving is only a privilege? 

Isn’t transportation a “right”?

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Comments (19)

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  1. Disbelief says:
    July 12, 2008 at 2:41 pm

    The ability to move freely between states is indeed considered a fundamental right according to the US Supreme Court. However, this right is not so broad as to guarantee that you get to do the travel in a 2008 Range Rover. In the words of Justice Black, “You got feets, don’t you?”

  2. Joanne Christian says:
    July 12, 2008 at 3:17 pm

    Why am I not surprised you think “baring arms” is a right? Some arms are just better left unseen!!

  3. mike w. says:
    July 12, 2008 at 3:32 pm

    Joanne – I’m sure that was a freudian slip on DTB’s part.

  4. Delaware's Toughest Blogger says:
    July 12, 2008 at 3:51 pm

    you don’t know me very well mike

  5. mike w. says:
    July 12, 2008 at 3:55 pm

    I was giving you the benefit of the doubt. If it was in fact intentional then you must be a very sad, hoplophobic man with a need to control others, distrust of your fellow citizen, and contempt for the Constitution.

  6. Delaware's Toughest Blogger says:
    July 12, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    yawn….

    again, you don’t know me. I’m not 2 dimensional bro. You can’t even understand suicide how are you going to understand me from being on a freaking blog for 4 days?

    go read that bible thing about judging people….

  7. mike w. says:
    July 12, 2008 at 4:04 pm

    I’m most certainly not your “bro.” Who really talks like that?

    You say I don’t understand you. Ok then, explain why you wrote “baring” rather than “bearing.” My assumption of a freudian slip was based upon comments you’ve made in the past few days. You only get one chance to leave a good impression and you missed it.

  8. meatball says:
    July 12, 2008 at 4:36 pm

    I talk like that, bro. And I tote a gun, too.

  9. Delaware's Toughest Blogger says:
    July 12, 2008 at 4:38 pm

    b/c I missed spelled the fucking word nutjob.

    See, I can admit mistakes…

  10. Truth Teller says:
    July 12, 2008 at 5:08 pm

    lets see the right to bear arm’s. What about legs LOL or how about the right to bare your ass . a great moon shot.

  11. CJO says:
    July 12, 2008 at 8:38 pm

    Mike is just one of those insecure people who now feel secure because they “bare arms”.

  12. mike w. says:
    July 12, 2008 at 9:26 pm

    CJO “Mike is just one of those insecure people who now feel secure because they “bare arms”.”

    Yup, because taking personal responsibility for the defense of my life is all about “feeling” secure rather than actually being secure.

    You go ahead and “feel” secure in your belief that “nothing bad will happen to me, that stuff happens to other people” and cling to the thoroughly debunked belief that police can and will be there when you actually need them. The fact that the police have no legal obligation to protect you is inconvenient, so you’ll just ignore it. (see Castle Rock v. Colorado or Riss v. New York if you don’t believe me)

    I for one prefer to accept reality and be prepared, despite the fact that many here project their own insecurities and falsely believe that prepared = paranoid.

  13. Dana says:
    July 12, 2008 at 9:46 pm

    I would suggest that voting is also a privilege, not a right. Rights accrue to everyone, regardless of age and citizenship. You can be an illegal alien with fourteen felony convictions, and if arrested you’ll still have the right to due process of law before they turn you loose again.

    To vote, you must be a citizen, and you must meet criteria concerning age and lack of felony conviction. You must — in most states — register, and meet some standard of identification. With the exception of places like Chicago and Baltimore, you must still be alive. And you may only vote for the offices in the district in which you reside.

    We call it a right, but we treat it as a privilege.

  14. USCitizen says:
    July 12, 2008 at 9:50 pm

    Good answer, Dana.

    And “bearing arms” is a Constitutionally protected Right. Driving is not.

  15. USCitizen says:
    July 12, 2008 at 9:55 pm

    BTW, I really like the 5 minute comment edit feature. Is that the “Ajax Edit Comments” plug-in?

  16. Delaware's Toughest Blogger says:
    July 12, 2008 at 11:45 pm

    the constitution was written when there weren’t cars though…..

  17. mike w. says:
    July 14, 2008 at 10:13 am

    “the constitution was written when there weren’t cars though…..”

    And your point is? Do you see an amendment that says “the right of the people to drive cars shall not be infringed?

    Personally I’d say you have a right to travel freely within the U.S. under the 9th Amendment, but that doesn’t necessarily mean a right to drive cars. The right to keep & Bear arms however most certainly does mean fiearms as well as knives, swords “and every other terrible implement of the soldier”

  18. liberalgeek says:
    July 14, 2008 at 10:19 am

    USCitizen, yes it is the plugin here:

    http://wordpress.org/extend/plugins/wp-ajax-edit-comments/

  19. Duffy says:
    July 14, 2008 at 1:36 pm

    Dana,

    I understand your point but disagree. By your standard, any of our rights which are in any way curtailed are then, privlidges. You have the right to freely assemble but not if you intend to riot. You have the right to free speech but not to incite others to violence.

    Our rights exist but within certain parameters that we’ve codified in law. That doesn’t make them privlidges.

    YMMV.

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