The Borders of Freedom

Where do the ‘rights’ of one individual begin and end? It’s a great topic and one worthy of discussion.

"Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness" were the Founding Fathers’ words, but where are the boundaries? Are there boundaries? Our individual right to freedom of speech is forfeit when that speech crosses into slander or libel. Our right to assemble is lost when the assembly is no longer "peaceable." Our individual right to keep and bear arms is forfeit when those arms are used aggressively rather than defensively.

So just within the first two articles of the Bill of Rights, we get a sense that our individual rights are limited when exercising them crosses into harming others. The colloquial phrase "your right to swing your fist ends at my nose" sums up this perspective simply, I think. But what constitutes harm and who gets to decide? Hmmmm.....

It's a wonderful topic and discussion well worth having, so long as it remains intellectual and civil and open to all viewpoints and opinions. Therein lies the very challenge of our republic: Only by allowing and considering even those perspectives so vulgar to our own may we keep to the principles necessary to maintain true freedom.