I believe that everybody has the right to drink coke.

I believe that cats have the right to roam about their own neighborhood unleashed, as they non-containable, independent creatures.

I believe my still green pool is in desperate need of professional rescue.

@ApacheSavage

Good points, maybe we should all do up a global rights document.

Dear Mr. E,

Some time ago in a Faraway Galaxy there was a similar initiative, and, as far as I can tell, the only difference was that the articles that you so carefully outlined, had some additional clauses.

I AM NOT SUGGESTING THAT YOU APPROVE, OR THAT YOU EVEN HAD IN MIND THESE ADDITIONAL CONCEPTS.

I merely added them to your text for the benefit of the Earthlings, so that the applicability of such ideas could be properly considered.

I hope this helps.

Very best regards:

Your GalaxyMan

------------------------

1. I believe in the celebration of life, and that every person has the right to live free.

2. I believe that every person has value and that every person is valuable. THE PRESERVATION OF SUCH VALUE IS THE SOLE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE INDIVIDUALS.

3. I believe that every person has the right to be respected. THIS RESPECT IS BEST EXPRESSED BY NOTIFYING THE PERSON OF HIS/HER RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT WHEN ARRESTED.

4. I believe that every person has the right to feel safe in their person, AT THE SAME TIME THE AUTHORITIES' RIGHT TO ARREST AND KEEP ANY PERSON DETAINED WITHOUT CHARGES FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME SHALL NOT BE CHALLENGED

5. I believe that every person has the responsibility to care for themselves, and to the best extent possible, for each other. THE STATE HAS NO OBLIGATION TO CARE FOR THE INDIVIDUAL UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES

6. I believe that every person has the right to choose for themselves whether or not to become a parent, even when the consequences are inconvenient. THE RIGHT TO MAKE THIS CHOICE EXISTS UNTIL THE MOMENT OF CONCEPTION.

7. I believe that all people have the responsibility to look out for children and help keep them safe. Children are the innocent, and they are our future. "PEOPLE" MEANS THE INDIVIDUALS: NEITHER THE BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS NOR THE STATE HAVE SUCH OBLIGATION.

8. I believe that every person has the right to be treated with dignity. AND SHALL ALWAYS BE TREATED IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE THEN AUTHORIZED RULES OF ENHANCED INTERROGATION.

9. I believe that every person has the right to believe what they want to believe, even if I do not agree. THE PERSON CAN BE OSTRACIZED AND DISCRIMINATED AGAINST, HOWEVER, BY WELL-ESTABLISHED GROUPS WHO HOLD DIFFERENT BELIEVES.

10. I believe that all people are the co-inhabitants and co-owners of our planet and that its resources belong to everyone. I believe that nobody has the right to monopolize or exploit it at the expense of others. I believe that all people have the responsibility to care for our world and the people in it. THE "CO-OWNERSHIP" CAN NOT BE INTERPRETED AS CONTRADICTORY TO THE RIGHT TO OWN PRIVATE PROPERTY. NEITHER THE SIZE NOR THE VALUE OF OWNED ASSETS SHALL BE LIMITED. THE OWNERS ARE FREE TO USE THEIR PROPERTY IN ANY WAY.

11. I believe that all people have the right to clean air, fresh water, and sanitary living conditions. Nobody should be required to live in squalor. THE OWNERS OF THE LAND CAN THEREFORE EXERCISE THEIR RIGHT TO USE THE AIR, WATER AND OTHER RESOURCES WITHIN THEIR TERRITORIES WITHOUT ANY LIMITATION. THIS INCLUDES THE RIGHT FOR THE PRODUCTION OF ENERGY THROUGH NUCLEAR PROCESSES, COAL-BURNING OR ANY OTHER MEANS.

12. I believe that all people have the right to seek work and be renumerated in an equitable manner REMUNERATION IS DEEMED EQUITABLE AT ANY MONETARY LEVEL AS LONG AS THE WORKER ACCEPTS IT WITHOUT BEING FORCED.

13. I believe that all people have the right to access all levels of society and that no person should be prohibited access on the basis of any natural attribute. IT IS PERMITTED TO ESTABLISH REASONABLE ORGANIZATIONAL MEASURES FOR THE REVIEW, PROCESSING AND APPROVAL OF PETITIONS. INDIVIDUAL GRIEVANCES -- EVEN IF THEY ARE PRESENTED BY NON-MAINSTREAM PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES -- SHALL NOT BURDEN THE WORK OF THE ADMINISTRATION AND IT IS ACCEPTABLE FOR ALL PETITIONS TO DEMAND PRIOR APPROVAL BY THE TWO ESTABLISHED POLITICAL PARTIES.

14. I believe that all people have the right to be spiritual. And to believe in whatever God or creator or force, or the absence of any of these, as they choose. THE RIGHT TO "BE SPIRITUAL" AND "TO BELIEVE" MUST BE PRACTICED SOLITARILY. PUBLIC DISSEMINATION OF INDIVIDUAL BELIEFS CAN BE REGULATED AND LIMITED BY THE MAJORITY.

15. I believe that all people have the responsibility to do their best to resolve disputes, disagreements and conflicts reasonably and amicably. And that all grievances have the right to be heard and resolved. EVERYONE IS ENTITLED TO THE USE PUBLIC DEFENSE (UP TO ONE ATTORNEY). NO LIMIT SHALL BE PLACED ON THE PRIVATE FINANCIAL EXPENDITURES OF THOSE INDIVIDUALS AND ORGANIZATIONS WHO CAN AFFORD IT.

16. I believe in peace, and the innate, fundamental goodness of men and women. THUS NO RULES SHALL BE SET FOR THE MEN AND WOMAN IN RESPECT TO THEIR INTERPERSONAL RELATIONSHIPS; THEIR INNER GOODNESS IS GUARANTEE OF APPROPRIATE BEHAVIOR.

17. I believe that technologies, when and as they are discovered, should exist for the benefit of all peoples, and applied for good, wholesome purposes. THIS SHALL NOT PREVENT THE PROVIDERS OF SUCH BENEFITS FROM CHARGING WHATEVER PRICE THEY DEEM APPROPRIATE FOR THEIR PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.

18. I believe in forgiveness. THE COMMUNITY SHALL PRACTICE SUCH FORGIVENESS THROUGH THE ACTIONS OF ELECTED OR APPOINTED OFFICIALS WHO CAN RELIEVE THE "WORTHY" FROM THE CONSEQUENCES OF ALL THEIR "WORTHY" ACTIONS. THE DETERMINATION OF "WORTHINESS" SHALL BE MADE BY THE SAME OFFICIALS AT THEIR DISCRETION ON A CASE-BY-CASE BASIS.

@GalaxyMan

I'm guessing you hail from Earth?

Sounds good. I would have to agree with you.

Intriguing post idea. Have you ever heard the public radio feature, "This I Believe"? If not, I'm sure you can find some archived ones online. They're quite interesting and varied.

@Silkstone

Yes, good series. I thought about that as I was posting. I almost used that title and then caught myself :)

Mr. E: You and I agree on these things. They are the basis of the love that binds all of life together.

Mr. Galaxy Man, on the other hand, appears to want to separate us all from each other, so the Spoiled Boy faction can take control. Is it true that the spacemen are coming to eat us all for breakfast? If Mr. GM is one of those, he should beware that he might ingest some human hearts, which may cause a big change in his philosophy.

Dear Penrose.

I am sorry that I may have missed the opportunity to assure you that in no way did I want to cause any harm to the Earthlings, whom I admire. This is why I am still here :-)

My additions to Mr.E's very good points were intended to illustrate how ill will can tweak and turn upside down even the best laws. Unfortunately in the galaxy where I came from such shady practices existed in many domains.

I am sure you are more familiar with the history of Earthlings, so let me point to only one local example here. As we all recall the 1793-94 period of the French Revolution was eventually called the Reign of Terror, when tens of thousands of people were executed as "enemies of the revolution". And that was still under the general political slogan: Liberté, Egalité, Fraternité.

So there seems to be some problem with well intending but general laws, but I hope I was able to clarify this unfortunate misunderstanding.

Very best regards.

Could also point out the 2001-2009 era where people were rounded up under the Patriot Act and shipped off to an undisclosed location and held in indeterminate detention....