Who rules //
Rights and Responsibilities
Rights
In the UK, we all have individual rights. These include the right to free speech, the right to vote once you are over 18 and the right to a free education. Such rights allow us to express ourselves freely and do what we believe in and want to do. However, many people all over the world do not have the chance to enjoy individual rights.
In 1948 a group of countries decided that people's rights needed to be protected. They drew up a list of rights that they believed every human being should be entitled to. This list is called the 'Universal Declaration of Human Rights'. It includes things such as a right to life and a right to a fair trial.
Social responsibilities
With rights come responsibilities. You may have a right to do something, but you also need to think about your responsibility towards others to ensure you are not putting them in any danger. For example, at the age of 16 in the UK you have the right to drive a moped, but if you zoom around on pavements, frighten people or threaten to knock them down, you are taking away their right to move around freely and are putting their lives in danger. Your responsibility is to drive safely and to be aware of how your actions and behaviour affect the rights of others.
When rights are threatened
Laws are made to protect our individual rights and the rights of others. So, although laws restrict us in some ways, they also protect our freedom. It's against the law to drive faster than 30 miles an hour on an ordinary public road in a built-up area. We are permitted to drive and move around freely, but the law aims to limit danger to ourselves and to others.
The law maintains a fine line between protecting our rights and keeping us from danger. The government has to be careful when making laws to ensure that we still have our rights and freedoms while being protected.
Key Points
- There are international agreements about what rights all humans should have.
- Laws are made to protect our rights.
- Responsibilities have to run alongside rights for them to work.
- In a democracy, the rights of individuals have to be balanced against responsibilities for ourselves and others.
- When laws are made, our rights have to be taken into account. A law should never restrict our rights.
Reality Bytes: Food for Thought
In the UK there are concerns about the state of people's health, with a particular focus on obesity. Some people think that the government should bring laws in to restrict the sale of unhealthy food in order to combat the problem.
McDonald's has stopped selling super size meals and other fast-food companies have followed in its footsteps. Others think that if such laws are brought in, then people's rights are being restricted. They believe that people should be free to eat what they like and should instead think responsibly about their health. There are concerns that the government's proposed restrictions affect the rights of individuals to do what they like.
Should we be responsible enough to decide for ourselves whether we should eat healthy food or not?
Interesting Facts
- Years ago in the Soviet Union, now Russia, freedom of speech was not allowed. If you spoke out about the government you could be sent to a psychiatric hospital!
- By the age of ten, you are considered responsible for your actions and have to face the consequences if you break the law.
Big Question
- Should the government intervene in our private life, for example, trying to encourage individuals to eat healthily and to stop smoking?
