OT - I don't _hate_ McMansions

[Andy Bradford]

Thus said Levi Pearson on Fri, 27 Jun 2008 23:35:51 MDT:

> > Then call them priviledges so we don't all get confused.
>
> How about you  learn to use the long-established legal  terms, eh? You
> don't get to redefine the legal  vocabulary just because you feel like
> stepping a few hundred years into the past.

Fair enough.  The law is all  about certainty of definition.  Here it is
straight from the  foremost authority on legal  definitions, Black's Law
Dictionary:

``A particular  and peculiar benefit  or advantage enjoyed by  a person,
company  or class  beyond the  common advantages  of other  citizens. An
exceptional  or  extraordinary  power  or  exemption.  A  right,  power,
franchise or immunity  held by a person or class,  against or beyond the
course of the law.''

Let's see, if I only allow some of  my neighbors to cross my land on the
way to  the store, are  they not enjoying  an advantage not  afforded to
other people? Or how about those  benefits ``given'' to us by government
that some  enjoy but others  do not. Sounds  pretty much like  my narrow
definition to me. And what about a right:

``A power,  privilege, faculty,  or demand, inherent  in one  person and
incident upon another ... the powers of free action.''

Again, this seems to fit my narrow definition quite well.

I believe  you mentioned  that the  passing of  the Social  Security Act
somehow created  new rights? This  is wrong. It created  new privileges,
but  certainly not  any kind  of  new rights.  Rights do  not come  from
government, they  are inherent in a  person. And what is  the privilege?
The privilege is to  take from some group of people  and give to another
(transfer  program). This  kind of  thing can  never be  a right,  if it
could, I could  just as easily take  from my neighbor and give  it to my
poor and needy grandparents and it would be lawful to do so.

Andy
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