Rights and Responsibility

So, I'm sure most of you know by now that NY just passed a bill legalizing same-sex marriage. There has been a lot of talk lately about how this is a "great step forward for civil rights" and the biggest social reform since the civil-rights era. While I certainly agree that this is a huge step in the right direction, it does raise some interesting questions about the fundamental decisions every American faces.

Ever since the first ten amendments were ratified, our rights have been the cornerstone of American pride and culture. Voting, federal education loans, taxation by representation, and countless other givens in our culture were all but unheard-of just a few hundred years ago. Even today many immigrants arrive in our country with nothing to safeguard their future except for the promise of heightened rights and freedoms. The expansion of these freedoms was the fundamental argument in favor of the so-called “Marriage Equality” bill that just passed through the State Senate.

What far too many people overlook is that these rights come at a price. Every man and woman of our nation, if not the entire world, has a certain degree of responsibility to their community. What causes a dilemma is when responsibilities seem to infringe on rights. If it is your responsibility to serve the country in times of war, does this violate your right to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness?” There is no law mandating voting; is it really a great right, or is it a responsibility to be undertaken even if inconvenient? For decades, laws have been evolving to defend the rights of citizens, but any attempt to define responsibility by law has been seen as an “obstruction of human rights.”

Ultimately, I hold responsibility as a greater power than rights. This is my decision: what must be done should outweigh what may be done. Many disagree with me, as is, ironically, their right. Perhaps some of you have found a way to balance the two, but I see service to others as more important than freedom to serve yourself. And to those of you who hold rights as more important, just remember those of us who value our responsibility are the ones who guarantee you those rights.