Obama Shouldn't Skew Meaning of "Rights" Vs. "Privileges"

In the Declaration of Independence, our Founding Fathers acknowledged that all men "are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. That among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."  As citizens, we understand this.

They are unalienable in that they are unchanging and inherent.  They are rights in that all people are entitled to them, distinct from privileges in that they do not have to be earned. 

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For instance, the Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms.  It does not, however, guarantee the privilege of owning a gun.  The right to possess a gun is inherent; the privilege is earned through work and the subsequent ability to buy the product. 

But Obama ignoring the Founding Father's definition of a right should come as no surprise.  Obama and the Democrats recurrently speak of privileges as if they are rights-from health care to home ownership. 

The fact is services and products like the aforementioned are to be earned, not given or bestowed upon citizens.  And it is up to the government to protect the citizen's ownership of these earned privileges. 

Now, some may call me a mean, heartless Republican for suggesting health care is not a right.  On the contrary, I would like nothing more than for everyone to have everything their heart desires.  In a utopian society, this would be the case. 

But utopia is unattainable, and any time it has been promised, the result has been nothing short of disastrous.  This is why the founders promised us the "pursuit of happiness" not happiness itself. Promises of "socialist utopia" and equal outcome have only succeeded in bringing everyone down; the Soviet Union is evidence of this.

In line with this notion, when the government makes what should be a privilege a right that privilege is then subject to ruinous government regulation.  When health care is treated as a right to be administered by the government, it is not as if everyone receives a Cadillac health plan, but rather everyone receives plans subject to the government telling us when and on what terms care will be administered. 

When asked during a presidential debate in October of 2008 if health care was "a privilege, a right, or a responsibility," Obama replied: "I think it should be a right for every American."

While healthcare and home ownership are not under direct government control at the moment, the Obama administration has set us on this trajectory.  Changing the discourse is step one.  It's up to us differentiate between rights and privileges.

Calling something a right might seem compassionate and harmless, but I assure you, it is the first step down a dangerous path our nation dare not traverse.

Kayleigh McEnany is a writer and political activist who graduated from the Georgetown University School of Foreign Service and studied at Oxford University.  She is the founder of www.RealReaganConservative.com. She writes every Tuesday for the International Business Times.

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