3WD and all MOQists:
Here's a good dramatization of Pirsig's 4th code. 3WD will be playing the
role of the Rigelistic conservative and I'll play the commie egghead. 3WD
and I colaborated as authors.
DMB calls out from off stage, the left wing...
Hey, Dave. What ya doing with that door?
3WD begins swinging his hammer...
Trying to nail it shut.
DMB entering from stage left...
But why? Its a door. Its supposed to let people in.
3WD hammers faster...
You wouldn't believe the freaks that have come through here.
DMB covers his ears...
Stop hammering and tell me what you mean.
3WD stops to explain....
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created
equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable
Rights, that AMONG these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of
Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted..."
...I find those self-evident truths to be that people are endowed with a
"four" basic "unalienable" rights.
Unfortunately the AMONG left the door open for both Governments and
People to "misconstrued rights" in both "arbitrary and tyrannical"
ways.
DMB begins prying out the nails...
Wait! I must emphatically object. The door was left open on purpose. There
was many drafts and versions of the Declaration. The word "among" is
essential to the meaning of rights. He could have captured nearly the same
meaning if he'd used "innumerable". At the time there were endless
publications and discussions about extent of natural rights and the like.
Some of the phrases in that very sentence come strait out of John Locke's
work, for example. Jefferson captures the essence of all that. Further, this
same idea was latter built into the Constitution. The amendment process
itself is an open door for the evolution of rights. Finally, the 9th
amendment explicitly tears that door off its hinges...
DMB pops the hinge pins and removes the door...
"The enumeration in the constitution, of certain rights, shall not be
construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." Article IX
3WD moves stage right, stepping over the door....
a whole list of "arbitrary, tyrannical
and conditional" rights have been elevated to the "unalienable" status.
And this process continues with Civil "rights", both sides of Abortion
"rights", Child "rights", Education "rights", Animal "rights", Plant
"rights", the "rights" to clean air, water, land, and tommorrow the
"unalienable" right of all to have a 24 hour a day accessible public
toilet with scented Charmin..... in your house.
DMB throws the door out a window...
The rights to scented toilet paper? You mock me, sir. Surely the distinction
between plants rights and the Bill of Rights has not escaped you? What
villainous treachery causes you to pose as such a beast and dullard? Do you
not hold your own rights as sacred? You sir, are a victorian!
3WD draws his pistol and backs into the corner...
How can I be free, happy, and live my life to the fullest if you abridge
my "unalienable" right to defecate? Hey that one is pretty
"unalienable". Sounds like a reasonable candidate for the 28th ammendment.
DMB covers his eyes in horror...
I'm shocked that you would propose a constitutional amendment at a moment
like this. How you defecate and talk about rights at the same time? You've
got to stoop pretty low to do that, especially if you're out in the woods or
something. In anycase, I think you've demonstrated your attitudes and
feelings about rights. Need some scented toilet paper?
THE CURTAIN CLOSES
(No animals were harmed in the production of this play.)
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