I went with privilege because there are certain requirements you must naturally meet to be eligible and certain requirements you must accomplish (Register) to vote in certain elections-- such as primaries.... but you knew that!
It's implicitly a right as of the 14th, 15th, 19th, 25th and 26th amendments? Implicitly because every one of these can be repealed with additional amendments?
By your criteria: Is getting married a right or a privilege? Is owning firearms a right or a privilege?
No - this is not entirely correct. Nor does it contradict the fact that voting is a right. Just because you can lose a right under certain circumstances does not mean that those who retain the right have instead been granted a privileged. Felons in some states can vote even if part of the prison population. Others restore the right once no longer incarcerated. Some can potentially lose the right forever. Note that all state laws refer to it in exactly those terms - as a right. I assume you are in Texas. In Texas you are restored your right once you are no longer incarcerated or on parole/probation. It is interesting that those arguing against voting as a right are also ignorant of the basic laws governing this right.
The problem with this poll, and any discussion, is that people bring their own definitional bias to the question. You have always thought of "rights" this way and "privileges" that way-- with much analysis. Throw the RJ formula at it! My urgency is this: if something is available on a limited basis (be it due to age, time passage, or criminal record or whatever) how do we NOT deem it a privilege that is being granted by some set of agreements? If somebody has a right to vote when they turn no later than 18, then by logical construct they do not have the right to vote until they turn voting age. Isn't that unavoidable? It's not just a matter of losing rights; there is also the hurdle of attaining them.
Why can't it be both? Also, I commend you - you spelled privilege correctly - probably one of the most misspelled words around.
The inalienable rights granted by our creator, according to the Declaration of Independence are Life, Liberty and Pursuit of Happiness. Then the Bill or Rights (first ten amendments to the Constitution) establish and affirm 10 rights to US citizens: • First Amendment - Establishment Clause, Free Exercise Clause; freedom of speech, of the press, Freedom of Religion, and of assembly; right to petition. Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances. • Second Amendment - Militia (United States), Sovereign state, Right to keep and bear arms. A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the People to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed. • Third Amendment - Protection from quartering of troops. No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. • Fourth Amendment - Protection from unreasonable search and seizure. The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. • Fifth Amendment - due process, double jeopardy, self-incrimination, eminent domain. No person shall be held to answer for any capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of a Grand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger; nor shall any person be subject for the same offence to be twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witness against himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shall private property be taken for public use, without just compensation. • Sixth Amendment - Trial by jury and rights of the accused; Confrontation Clause, speedy trial, public trial, right to counsel In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district where in the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defense. • Seventh Amendment - Civil trial by jury. In suits at common law, where the value in controversy shall exceed twenty dollars, the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law. • Eighth Amendment - Prohibition of excessive bail and cruel and unusual punishment. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishments inflicted. • Ninth Amendment - Protection of rights not specifically enumerated in the Bill of Rights. The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. • Tenth Amendment - Powers of States and people. The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people. All these rights are invaluable. Maybe we need more? Both rights and privileges exist on some kind of continuum with regards to degree of human intervention or interference. Every single right you have can be taken away by some circumstance, I think. None of us are probably scholars on these matters. If you can think of an individual right that can't be limited or removed from your life, share with us...
We limit all of these rights in some way or another. We don't allow hate speech, for example. We don't allow kids to own guns, etc. These things don't fit your own definition of "rights" if you don't consider voting a right because we limit it by age.
There isn't a clear-cut difference between the two, IMO. I usually associate "privileges" with something granted to a relative few. It doesn't make sense to talk about a "privileged" majority, for example. As for rights, I view them as legal protections granted to the law-abiding public. The so-called "inalienable" rights derive from basic moral principles. Other rights are basically agreed upon in some way, but may be subject to revision or additional caveats. I would count gun rights and voting rights of the latter type.
A right, as affirmed by the Supreme Court and the 19th amendment, 14th and 15th, 24th, and 26th amendments. Although, any right can be taken away or deprived- justly or not.
Then what is all the fuss about some simple voter ID law violating people's voting rights? We compromise people's rights regularly when there is a justifiable reason. You don't have to feel that a voter ID law is necessary at this point but don't shoot it down because it violates voter's rights. All voters would be subject to the same law.
Because we restrict rights when there is a good reason. There is no good reason here - as has been stated dozens of times, it doesn't solve an actual problem. We, as a society, have decided that disenfranchising people just for the hell of it is a bad thing. We've also decided that disenfranchising poor people is a really bad thing, and even passed a Constitutional Amendment to forbid it. We also decided that certain states have a bad habit of trying to disenfranchise minorities, so we passed laws to ensure that the Federal Government could prevent that.
These threads where it ends up being giddyup vs. everybody always make me cringe. They never end well.
