by Marion Garcia

Created on: January 03, 2010

Assessing the theories of human rights:

Human beings need a place to live, food, clean water, and clean air to exist on this planet. These are basic necessities for the human race to survive. When these simple amenities are taken away or not provided then their human rights have been denied.

To assess theories on human rights, one must define human rights. Does human rights simply mean giving people freedom of speech, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? Does human rights mean that all people regardless of color or region of birth should be entitled to the basic rights to survive.

Freedom of speech is in a manner a human right. The right to speak up when you are being wronged. Liberty is a human right, but should have its limitations. One can not give the liberty to totally control another person, steal or take another persons life. Pursuit of happiness is also a human right. All humans have a right to be happy. The right to have a life, to have food, clean water, and to have the freedom to achieve personal contentedness is the true meaning of human rights.

Throughout the history of mankind people have been separated by tribes and groups. These groups have all been led by a chief or elder. When food supplies were scarce, the elder or chief would move their people to a new location to find a new food source. The survival of the tribe or clan was always the first and foremost concern. Survival has caused people to fight amongst themselves and tribes against each other. People began controlling access to fresh water and lands that were abundant in food. Thus causing others to be deprived of the same basic provisions need for survival.

It is this natural basic instinct to survive that has caused one group of people to have more than the other. Since the beginning of mankind, humans have shown a need to have more than others and the need to be more powerful than others.

There are many countries that have an abundance of food. Most of these are not willing to share what they have with countries that are less fortunate. There are also many countries that have an abundance or other natural resources that could be traded for things that are needed. Long before there was money, there was the barter system.

Africa is one of the richest countries in natural resources, yet it's people are starving. With proper use of its resources, the African people should be living better than the people of the United States and other countries. It is the chiefs or elders of these groups that do not wish to help their clansmen survive.

The decisions of governments and their leaders to make their own pockets full is the main reason for the need to assess human rights. Greed, power, and selfish ideals of people need to be reconsidered.

Mankind needs to begin realizing that all people living on this earth have the same basic human rights to survive. All people are entitled to this right because they are a part of the human race.

It does not really matter whether life began through creation by one God or evolution. The planet Earth provided everything that all humans needed to survive. Most of these provisions have been destroyed by humans. It is the responsibility of all humans to work together to restore these provisions so that all people will have the human rights that they are entitled to from birth.

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