Is Internet Access Now a 'Basic Human Right'?

In our current political debate, people are constantly talking about their rights. It’s not hard to find people discussing a supposed right to free birth control, a right to broadband internet, or whatever the cause of the day happens to be. But most of us throw around the term “right” without ever stopping to consider what it actually means.

If we want our government and our Constitution to be effective at protecting our rights, then we need to make sure that we understand what a legitimate right actually is. So let’s go back to the basics and discuss this idea of natural rights.

As I explained this weekend on TheBlaze Radio’s Chris Salcedo Show, your rights are those areas of your life that belong only to you. They are so personal that no one can violate them without also violating your humanity (cue to 1:11:40)

Human life is unique and precious and your rights are a reflection of that. We don’t have our rights because the government decided to grant them to us; our rights are an inherent part of our nature as human beings. That is why they are such a huge deal. When someone violates your rights they are treating you as if you were something less than human.

It’s just silly to claim that something like access to the internet is a basic human right because, again, our rights are a part of our nature as human beings. At what point did having internet access become synonymous with humanity? Was it when the internet was first created? Or not until it became really popular?

Obviously it never did. It’s hardly sub-human for a person to live without access to the internet.

Human life is precious so we have to do everything we can to protect the rights of all people. That’s why we can’t continue to allow this powerful concept of rights to be watered down with things like free birth control or access to the internet that would more accurately described as desires or even necessities. Words have meanings and we can’t change those meanings without consequences. If we want our government to be successful in protecting our legitimate rights, we need to be sure that we all understand what a right truly is.

Chad Kent is an author and speaker with a unique style that makes the Constitution simple and fun. Listen to Chad every Saturday during The Chris Salcedo Show on TheBlaze Radio and visit his web site at www.ChadKentSpeaks.com.

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