Rights and privileges

Oct 31, 2014 2 min read

To the editor:

SCOTUS, by its silence, gives gays the right to choose who they may marry. Your choice of a mate therefore is a right. If there is a personal right to choose, it should be allowed.

Do you agree with this?

Let’s limit our discussion to the following scenarios. We must be careful what we designate as a right. What about a business that wishes to choose who may enter their business. Can they choose their clientele? What about owners of rental property. Can they choose their renters?

In Alabama, the business leaders are forming the first Black Chamber of Commerce. Could the white business leaders form a White Chamber? I am not against either group but could any one group, not of minority status, be allowed to form their own Chamber?

If there is a right to choose, then it follows that there should be a right not to choose, after all, that also is a choice.

Giving a right to one person may remove a right from another. In fact, we really have no individual rights, for the government is the entity choosing for all of us.

So, this right that is being bandied about is really not a right at all, but merely a privilege. Rights and privileges are not the same. A privilege can be taken away. It is a right if I want it, but a privilege if you desire it as well.

I have chosen to write these comments. Having said this, I also recognize that The Breeze has the right of choice not to print this. So, when you come right down to it, none of us really have any” rights.” Now, don’t you feel “privileged?”

Joseph Kibitlewski

Cape Coral