Published March 1998 — Download PDF of the original newspaper column
Byrd's-Eye View By U.S. Senator Robert C. Byrd Rights vs. Responsibilities
Individual rights have always been important in this country. Parliament's refusal to recognize the rights of the American colonialists helped spark the American Revolution -- but, there is little actual precedent for the sense of "absoluteness" about personal rights that seems to have pervaded our country in recent years. This current tunnel-vision focus on individual rights is contributing to a general misunderstanding about another equally important requirement of citizenship: responsibility. Responsibility is the all-essential partner to the exercise of one's individual rights. Just as mortar binds together the bricks of a building, responsibility must serve as the adhesive that supports a free society which, in tum, protects one's individual rights. Children in this country must be taught that being a good citizen can never be just about being "free" and having rights. It is always equally about responsibility. Our nation is built on the principle of accountability and responsibility under our laws. A responsible citizen, therefore, is entitled to all of the rights given to him under the law. An irresponsible citizen, however, who thwarts our laws may, in tum, experience a loss of some or even most of his freedoms. Children are quick to learn by example that it is easier to shift blame than to accept it, and that rights are, on the surface, more enjoyable than responsibilities. Parents must also understand that. While it may be easy to emphasize rights to their children, parents and teachers must also inculcate a sense of responsibility and accountability for personal actions in the young. Responsibility includes using discretion and self-restraint in the conduct of one's rights. For example, while the First Amendment protects the right of citizens to express themselves, it does not also sanction language which endangers public safety. Responsibility also means accepting blame and even punishment for one's unwise or illegal actions. It means taking charge of one's own life and contributing to one's community, one's nation, and one's family in a productive and beneficial way. Children must be taught that there is no free ride, and no substitute for the satisfaction and rewards that they will realize from setting high goals and working hard to accomplish them. The concept of protected individual rights helped to make the United States unique among all of the world's nations. However, just as a building constructed of bricks without mortar cannot stand, a nation which emphasizes only rights, without stressing their corresponding responsibilities, will eventually topple. March 11, 1998