The norms and moral principles used to describe human behavior standards are known as human rights. International and municipal law recognize and protect human rights as legal and natural rights of humans.
Often understood as fundamental, inalienable rights, every individual is entitled to the rights simply for being human beings. Despite your location, age, language, ethnic origin, ethnicity, religion, or any other status, you’re entitled to human rights inherently as a human being.
Human rights are universal, hence applicable all the time and everywhere. Furthermore, they’re egalitarian, meaning each right is similar for everyone.
The rights expect the rule of law and empathy from every individual and imposes an obligation on everyone to respect each other’s human rights. With the exception of a due process on particular scenarios, nobody’s human right should be taken away.
For instance, human rights comprise of freedom from torture, unlawful imprisonment, and execution.
Benefits of Human Rights
Human rights ensure that everyone has access to basic human needs such as food, medication, clothes, water, and shelter. As a result, every individual develops a baseline for dignity.
However, not everyone worldwide has access to basic necessities and rights. Therefore, activists use human rights to fight for the basic needs of those without access.
Apart from helping people access basic needs, other benefits of human rights include:
- Offers protection to vulnerable members in the society from abuse
- Promotes freedom of expression and speech
- Allows you to freely practice your religion
- Promotes equal job opportunities for everyone
- Gives you the freedom to love whomever you want
- Offers protection to the environment
Here’re five basic human rights of every American citizen you should know:
5 Human Rights Every Citizen Should Know
1. The right to education and freedom of expression
Every individual has the right to basic and tertiary education, including adult basic education. It teaches literacy and builds a foundation for career and independence in the future.
Everyone has the right to speak, write or print whatever they want as part of freedom of expression. However, it’s important to never violate another person’s right with your freedom of expression.
You must also never break the law through your speech or written material.
2. The right to food, healthcare, social services, and water
Every human has the right to enough water, food, and social security services. You have the right to access healthcare services, including reproductive health care whenever you’re sick or a need arises.
You also need the right to social assistance if you’re unable to support yourself or have dependents.
3. The right to freedom and security
This right states that nobody can be imprisoned without a good reason. You must undergo trial before detainment. You must not be tortured, maltreated or punished in a cruel, degrading or inhuman way.
Every human being has the right not to be subjected to violence from private or public sources.
And, if you’re a detained, arrested or accused person, you have the right to a lawyer and representation before a judge in a court of law. Furthermore, you can’t be forced to make a confession or speak against your will or without the presence of a lawyer.
Even as a prisoner, you have the right to live under proper prison conditions and receive visitors, including members of your family.
As part of health security, you have the right to invest in an emergency healthcare solution to eliminate any chance of falling victim to preventable health conditions. Great Call gives you access to 24/7 urgent care and safety from your smartphone.
On the other hand, Lifelock would offer you protection from identity theft. It supports address variations to protect your identity from fraudsters online.
4. The right to personal privacy
Nobody, including the government is allowed to search your property or house, or seize anything that belongs to you without following the law and the right legal channels. This is for the reason that you have the right to personal privacy.
Additionally, due to your right to personal privacy, the government isn’t allowed to infringe on your communication. Whether you communicate through phone calls or emails, the government isn’t allowed to tap or eavesdrop on your conversations or messages.
5. The right to freedom of association
Whom do you want to relate with? You have the right to associate with anyone you want, and so is everyone else.
Everyone has the right to associate with a political party, trade union, club, religious domination, business fraternity, sports clubs, or any other association they want.
