Regardless of age, your rights are an important part of your life. Understanding the list of fundamental rights is just as important as exercising them. Learn some of the most common rights, and you’ll gain a better perspective on why they matter. Knowledge will be on your side when it comes time to have a debate.
Knowledge and Insight
When confronted with a situation that challenges your rights, knowledge and insight are your best weapon. The individual or group that is attacking your position depends on willful ignorance. When someone doesn’t understand the power they have as a person, they instantly give that power away.
Privacy
The right to privacy was first observed in 1965. Your right to privacy extends beyond physical confrontations. With the massive technological push for cameras and data, this right has been extended on several fronts. When privacy is not respected, you have to call it out as harassment.
Voting
Voting rights is one of the oldest rights in existence. More importantly, it is one of the most consistent rights from state to state. The fourteenth amendment prevents states from forcing citizens to pay for voting rights in anyway, including taxes. This has been an important amendment for former felons that wanted their voting rights restored.
Equality
Equality is described in articles 14-18. Discrimination is strongly frowned upon, especially when seeking employment. This is another one of the old laws, and includes nullification of untouchability and titles. The right to equality is one of the most hotly contested laws in the world, and is often discussed in annual law articles.
Freedom
The right to freedom is considered one of the more misunderstood rights. It covers expression, speech, professions, unions and even the right to live and move. Free speech is the big one of all those mentioned. There is an endless amount of free speech cases that have set precedent. The problem is that there is no common ground between all of the cases. The easiest way to describe the right to freedom is to restrict it to an individual. You have the right to actions that affect your own life without breaking the law. When those same actions infringe on another person’s life, then it gets complicated for everyone involved.
Religion
You have the right to practice, change and observe any religion. This is an interesting right since it often clashes with the current state an individual lives in. Some places are neutral, while others are strongly in favor of a specific denomination. Culture (also a right) has strong ties to an individual’s right to religion.
Education
Education is a fundamental right that ensures language, culture and script remain intact for future generations. Smaller communities can pass along their ways without being overrun by larger communities.
Wrap Up
Words are powerful when the speaker stands firm on their beliefs. But these beliefs still need knowledge and logic to back them up. Know your rights, and there will be little to no flaws when defending your argument.
