...the recent signs of violent times occasion an opportunity for broadening our collective sense of what ''rights'' should be in terms of our social consciousness. Our political and judicial discourse would benefit from moving beyond a purely libertarian view of rights, which emphasizes freedom from governmental coercion or constraint, to incorporate also a dignitarian view of rights, which promotes freedom for the good of each other and for society as a whole.

Thomas F. Dailey
May 11, 2008
Let's think carefully about gun 'rights,' society
["Freedom for the good of each other and for society as a whole?" Hasn't this already been tried a few times by others? And the body count from these efforts just keeps growing. There are only individual rights. Collective "rights" are more properly called powers.--Joe]