It’s my right!

Last week was a sad one in Texas. As a result, there has been a lot of shouting about our rights in America.

People get really passionate about their rights.

Unfortunately, we have yelled so loudly about our rights that we have completely forgotten about our responsibilities. Rights and responsibilities go hand in hand. Like opposite ends of a stick, you cannot pick up one side without lifting the other. It’s time we remember this truth.

I drive a car everywhere. I have a driver’s license. It’s absolutely my right. But in order to get my license, I had to learn to drive, be 16, and prove through testing that I knew how to do it. Every time I get into my car, I have a responsibility to pay attention, follow the rules of the road, and drive safely. However, I am human, and I make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes I drive too fast and get a speeding ticket. In fact, this happened recently when I forgot to slow down in a school zone. I wouldn’t recommend doing that trick. My ticket was a lot of money. 😳 Other times, I have parked illegally and gotten a ticket for that. My kids even like to get in on this. Despite having the right to drive, they occasionally hit something or another car.

Driving a car is both a right and a responsibility.

I could give example after example of how our rights and responsibilities are connected, but I don’t think I need to. We all get it. Whether we are talking about having children, owning guns, going to public school, voting, dining in restaurants, going to church, or just being free to speak our minds—we get the “rights” part.

Just don’t forget the responsibilities that come with all those rights.