Which Rights would you choose?

I was hanging new curtains in my daughter’s room today and saw this laying on her desk. I read it and thought wow this is what they are teaching our children! The United States is supposed to be a free country yet honestly I believe we have lost a huge amount of freedom already. It really got me to thinking and thought I’d share it with you and see what your reaction is. Which rights would you be willing to give up?

 

A Visitor From Outer Space

 

       You are quietly watching television with your family when a special news bulletin comes over the TV. You immediately see that this is not the normal type of news bulletin because there is what looks like a very strange creature on the screen. The only thing, which is familiar is that, he is speaking in English. He tells you that he and his people have gained control over the communications networks in the United States and that everyone had better pay attention to what he has to say. You change the channel, and just as he said, there he is on every station. He begins to speak very loudly and you gather your family around because you are beginning to worry about what he is going to do. His speech is as follows:

 

       “My name is sthgiR and I am from the planet noitutitsnoc in another galaxy where the inhabitants are far superior to the beings on this planet Earth. Just as we have gained control over the communications of the United States, we have the ability to take complete control over every one of your lives. We do not want a war between our planet and yours, but we do want to control some things so that we can live in peace and harmony with you. We have looked at some of your laws and the way your government operates and have found it gives too much freedom to the individual. Therefore, we are going to conduct a survey to try and arrive at a decision with which both you and I are happy. As I have said, I do not want to take everything away from you, but I can’t allow you to continue to live as you have in the past. Therefore I am giving you a list of ten of the rights, which you now have according to the constitution, You are to look over the list and decide which of the ten are most important to you. I will allow you to keep five, of the ten rights- the five, which get the most votes from all the citizens of the untied States. You are to rank the following rights in the order in which you would give them up. 1 being the one you would give up last and 10 being the one you would give up first. After you have completed your ranking you will receive further instructions.”

 

• _ Right to bear arms
• _ Right to freedom of speech
• _ Right to legal counsel
• _ Right to protection from cruel and unusual Punishments
• _ Right to freedom of the press
• _ Right to a jury Trial
• _ Right to freedom of religion
• _ Right to peacefully assemble
• _ Right to privacy
• _ Right to protection from self-incrimination

 

Rick miller, Citizenship Law-related Education Program from the schools of Maryland.