We are not by ourselves though. Sure compared to 1000AD we might be being a little... precious. But hopefully we can enjoy the fact we invented all this technology to make our lives better and dream for bigger rights than is possible in a dog eat dog barbaric world.

Note that the Bill of Rights does not enumerate any rights that anyone else is obliged to provide. (Neither does the Declaration of Independence.)

I don't understand this response. A "right" by definition is about your interactions with other people.

By definition? I don't agree. Rights are a part of human nature, endowed by the Creator (or Evolution if you prefer).

For example, since slavery was legal before the Civil War, does that mean the slaves had no right to be free?

No right to be free from what? If you are by yourself, who is there to enslave you? It doesn't matter how how rights are endowed; the entire concept is meaningless except with regard to other humans.

You have a right to be free from somebody trying to kill you. You do not have a right to force him to do your bidding.

Both of those rights govern exactly what I said: your interactions with other people. But anyway, no one is proposing anyone be forced to do someone's bidding.

> no one is proposing anyone be forced to do someone's bidding.

The proposed right to health care does exactly that.

That is not correct.

You and Bob are on a desert island. You have a right to health care. How are you going to make Bob give you health care?

You and Bob are on a desert island, and Bob is trying to kill you. You have a right to be free of someone trying to kill you. Bob is trying to kill you. How are you going to make him stop?

You have a right to defend yourself. You do not have a right to take from others. The two are not the same at all.