Response to Taking Rights Seriously

Lina Sandoval

English 1A-Mr. Voth

August 26, 2000

RESPONSE TO TAKING RIGHTS SERIOUSLY

After reading the essay "Taking Rights Seriously" by Ronald Dworkin, I realized that I don't really pay any particular attention to our rights or even the limits to them. I didn't even know there was a dispute of what particular rights we as citizens have. Dworkin says that "the Government will have the last word on what an individual's rights are, because its police will do what its officials and courts say". I think it is the government's job to decide how to define our rights, that is why we vote them into office, because it is a difficult job and if we left it to the people, they probably would not give themselves enough limits. If the government gives society to much freedom than there would no respect for the laws and people would be running wild doing whatever they wanted. But if the government gives society to little freedom and sets limits on their rights than people would be complaining because they would feel that the government is taking over their rights. So there must be a balance between the rights of the individual and the demands of society at large. There for our government officials must be very careful on how they define our rights, because "a mistake on one side is as serious as a mistake on the other". The government has to compromise and stay in the middle; it cannot give one person more freedom than another person.

As for our freedom of speech, I think it is important to speak your mind in a non-provocative way on the matters of your political concern, but there is a limit on what is acceptable. Such as rioting and putting people in danger, then I see why there should be limits. I do believe that the constitution is a well-written document. Of course it is not perfect, but what is? We must have limits based on some kind of law and the constitution is a good start. With out the constitution our country wouldn't be one of the most powerful in the world. Other countries criticize but still here we are better for it. In the beginning of Dworkin's essay "he wants to show what a government must do that professes to recognize individual rights. It must dispense