Farewell To Manzanar Research Paper

682 Words3 Pages
Desiree Marshall English 10 2/15/13 Farewell to Manzanar Essay The Declaration of Independence enshrines three basic rights: the rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. The right to life is the only fundamental right, from which all other rights are derived. The right to life protects the individual’s ability to take all those actions necessary for the preservation and enjoyment of his life. It is based on the idea that life is the standard of moral value. The right to liberty protects the individual’s ability to think and to act on his own judgment. It is based on the idea that rationality is man’s highest moral virtue. The right to pursue happiness protects the individual’s ability to live for his own sake, rather than for the sake of society. It is based on the idea that the pursuit of one’s self-interest is one’s highest moral purpose. I think that the rights to life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness is more important because if anyone gets into some type of trouble, they’d want someone to remember that they have their own rights, just like anyone else does. Especially if you don’t know what a…show more content…
This is not a “compromise” be­tween two rights—but a line of division that preserves both rights untouched. The division is not derived from an edict of society—but from your own inalienable individual right. The definition of this limit is not set arbitrarily by society—but is implicit in the definition of your own right. A right is the sanction of independent action. A right is that which can be exercised without anyone’s permission. If you exist only because society permits you to exist—you have no right to your own life. Permission can be revoked at any
Open Document