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I reclaim, here, the concept of Entitlement.

I acknowledge that rights are not entitlements, entitlements are not laws, and laws are not a reflection of reality - quite the opposite in fact, for the existence of the law illustrates what the legislators think ought to be so, and therefore how it is not.

But I also hold forth the claim that we define ourselves as a society based upon which rights and entitlements we hold to be universally essential to life and quality of life, as well as (perhaps even more importantly) our degree of willingness to carve those rights and entitlements out of the chaos where they do not exist, and uphold them where they do. For in a world where society and mutual respect has meaning and where life is claimed to be of primary importance: a rational social structure must also acknowledge that an abstract right to life, in isolation, is effectively meaningless - lip service, nothing more.

Therefore I claim that, in a society which holds that the right to life is one of the great truths of our world, we absolutely should feel entitled to a few other things in conjunction with Life. Here, then, is my

Decree of Entitlement

I am entitled to life.

I am entitled to the basic raw necessities of continued health:
* clean water
* clean air
* safe food
* a reasonably safe living environment (where I can reasonably expect to come home at the end of every day without having been seriously harmed)

I am entitled to earn, through my own efforts, a job which, in working the standard non-overtime number of hours, is adequate to pay for a roof over my head, healthy food in my stomach, a set of clean clothing on my back, provision of electricity and water, and future pension adequate to support this style of life. (Telephone and transportation and Internet, while increasingly necessary, I don't claim as entitlement. Cable doesn't even enter the radar.) While I may always choose to work more hours or seek a better job to earn more money or retire earlier, I can trust that, while I work, I will never earn less. However, if I am otherwise capable but do not choose to work, I cannot expect to eat.

I am entitled to such education/training as is required for my chosen profession and of which I have demonstrated myself capable.

Whether single parent or partner, I am entitled not to have to choose between parenting my child and our continued survival.

Should I be or become physically or mentally incapacitated to the point where I am unable to fulfill the needs of such a job, I am entitled to a bare living income during the time of incapacitation, sufficient to support this style of life.

I am entitled to preventative and curative health care for any treatable health condition that immediately impacts on not only my survival, but also on my ability to earn such a living: immediate enough that any wait time does not itself cause the basic health issue to worsen. (Consider it an investment in the value of this particular human resource / member of society.)

Should such health care require an extended course of treatment, I am entitled to such treatment without any delays that would cause the base condition to worsen.

I am entitled to any resources deemed necessary by the medical profession in the course of said health care.

In short, I am entitled to live.

I understand my obligation, in so being entitled, is to undertake my own part in helping to create and maintain a healthy environment for myself and for those around me; nor does my responsibility in this respect abrogate that of any other person or group of persons. I understand that accepting these entitlements also places upon me a parallel obligation to make use of these entitlements in the spirit in which they are intended.

So I pledge myself.

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