There is a Difference

Here are three words to consider.  Rights, responsibilities and privilege.  Is there any differentiation in your mind?

According to the dictionary: rights are legal, social, or ethical principles of freedom or entitlement; that is, rights are the fundamental normative rules about what is allowed of people or owed to people, according to some legal system, social convention, or ethical theory.

While responsibilities are an obligation to carry forward an assigned task to a successful conclusion. With responsibility goes authority to direct and take the necessary action to ensure success.

And  privilege  is a special advantage: immunity, permission, right or benefit granted to someone.  

Unfortunately, many of us do not understand there is a difference in the meaning of these words.

                                          

There are rights spelled out in our constitution:  “We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America….” The words in the constitution of the United States set forth my constitutional rights as a United States Citizen.

                                              

When raising children, Saturday mornings spelled out family responsibilities.  Over breakfast we would collectively consider the laundry, vacuuming, dusting, mopping, and yard work.  The motto was, “Everyone worked at our house!”  We were collectively responsible.

                                                        

There have also been privileged times in my life.  As a child it was a privilege  to go to the movie with my friends. Mother or Dad would drop me off in front of the movie theatre and I was allowed to walk in with my friends to see an afternoon show.  I was aware that if I failed to be at the pick up spot on time, it would be a long time before I was offered the opportunity again.

When our oldest son, Kevin turned 13 we posted a sign on the refrigerator door.  It  read, “Young adults and teenagers, if you are tired of being hassled by your unreasonable parents, leave home and pay your own way while you still know everything.”  The sign stayed there until Karen and Misty moved out.

As I look back on that phrase it is full of  rights, responsibilities and privileges.  

Again, sometimes I believe we forget there is a difference between a right (the constitution), a responsibility (we all work), and a privilege (an opportunity).