Do you have a right to your own behavior?

Is the answer,

a) Yes!
b) No!
c) Well, within reason, I guess...
d) That's a stupid question and you're stupid for asking it!

Believe it or not, I'm going with (d).  When you think about it, what does the word "right" mean in this case?  I'll consult the dictionary to eliminate some semantics argument:

right [rahyt]
–noun
18. a just claim or title, whether legal, prescriptive, or moral: You have a right to say what you please.
19. Sometimes, rights. that which is due to anyone by just claim, legal guarantees, moral principles, etc.: women's rights; Freedom of speech is a right of all Americans.

While I do not think that people should not be able to exercise their "rights" I think the word itself is bullshit and that it encourages people to develop a mindset of entitlement.  When you have rights, you strut about with your chest puffed out, thinking "I can XXX and you can't stop me because you're not allowed!"  In all reality, many people are perfectly capable of violating your rights at any time, and just because they don't we somehow believe our rights are more secure than they really are.  Secondly, the idea of "rights" encourages the notion that these things are mandated by some power greater than ourselves.  This is not true: it is we as humans who 1) decide what our rights are, 2) work to preserve our rights, and 3) deny others whatever rights they think they should have.  Rights are a construct of mankind.  Speaking in terms of rights only clouds the true issue being discussed.

The newspaper is a great starting place for ideas.

Even just glancing through the front page articles, there's bound to be at least one that touches upon something easy to talk about.  Today, it's an article in The Wall Street Journal about where the responsibility for a person's prescription drug use lies.  The article, by Amy Merrick, first talks about an incident in which a woman suspected of abusing painkillers hit two people at the side of the road, killing one and severely injuring the second.  Now, let me ask you: who is responsible for this unfortunate accident?

According to the lawsuit filed Mr. Martinez (the injured man), his family and the family of the deceased (Mr. Sanchez), Wall Mart is responsible.  Because the woman (Patricia Copening) bought her painkillers from their pharmacy, it is they who should be responsible for the accident.

At this point, I'm thinking something along the lines of, "WTF?"  And, the article goes on to say that this is "part of a broader movement under way to place more responsibility for patients' prescription-drug use on pharmacies."  Do you know what I think?  I think that Wall Mart is capable of paying much more in damages than Ms. Copening.  You do the math.