The Dominion Post have announced on their front page today, a hitherto unknown basic human right, specifically for incarcerated crims to hug their children. Is it written in the law? The Dom didn’t say.
The Human Rights Commissioner will be green at this treading on their territory of inventing human rights, nevertheless they chimed in with their endorsement, a spokesperson commenting, “people in detention have a human right to have contact with their whanau and loved ones.”
They have no such bloody thing. It might be desirable or humane but it’s not a natural human right, rather they just made this up. And being the lightweights they are, their unthinking racism in lapsing into maori carries the obvious inference the unhugged prisoner is maori when in fact there’s only a 50% statistical chance. That’s as clear a case of racism as one could ever see. The Race Relations Office, another nonsense outfit, should prosecute them. They won’t though, not the least because they share premises, sadly lowering the tone in one of my buildings.
Also chiming in was Dr Tony Ellis who describes himself as a human rights lawyer. Not to be found wanting he added his creative contribution of yet another imaginary human right, specifically, “the right to a family life.”
I met Tony once when he called me to help out when he was getting nowhere over a disgraceful episode involving the Police and a young maori lad. “Cut out the human rights fiction,” I told him. “What do you want?”
“$20,000 and a written apology,” he replied. I sorted that out that evening over a bottle, or more likely two, with a senior detective, and without reference to imagery human rights, for the very good reason they don’t exist.
The United Nations prescribed natural human rights list is infantile. They’re simply a wish list of desirable objectives. So too legal rights. The law says you have a right not to be murdered which doesn’t stop buggers murdering people.
The reality is you don’t even have the right to breathe, merely the capability, but even then, only so long as someone doesn’t take it from you (murder again), or you die.
Does all of this matter? Yes, it does. Making up natural human rights leads to entitlement expectations by the weak.
For example, when the Human Rights Commission in full imaginary flight announced a year back that it’s a natural human right to have a warm home, a clamour arose demanding mug residential landlords ensure this happens. In short making up natural human rights induces a lack of self-responsibility and a demand by the burgeoning no-hoper classes for everyone else to deliver these.
That said, it would be fun to “work” in the Human Rights Commission creating these rights. Some off-the-top examples; the right for me to have it off with Miss New Zealand each year sounds a good start.
Or the right for me to declare myself a woman and use women’s toilets. Oh hang on; that one’s already covered. I give up.
11 Comments
Haha indeed I think I will invoke my inalienable human right to receive a government bestowed benefit – well named as it is indeed a benefit,.. to me ! … if I am lazy, sick, old, unemplyable, or in need of a long holiday. Also Sir Bob remember your mature years, the Miss NZ idea although grand may lead to more than you bargained for !
I think I’d like to trigger my human right not hear such garbage. Not you, Sir Bob!
I feel sad but when I regain the will to live I might come back and comment.
..i’m socially woke so i have the right to the right i deem right, and you don’t have any right to say i’m not right..ha so there ..in terms of rights…and i will add to that ‘a’ “how ‘dare’ you accuse me of being left”.
Yours
brave freedom fighter
Precious
We talk about human rights like we’re representing what’s inherent – not subjective. And as your article suggests, we do indeed make it up as we go along from a basically subjective position. We should be more honest to the fact of it – so we can rightly debate.
How about this for a subjective Right: “The right to a piece of dirt to build a home on and live on”.
Sound reasonable? Sound basic enough? Yet our government has no time for that right. They’ve regulated land so that you have to front-up with about $300,000 or more for a bit of dirt, when it could have otherwise been less than $30,000. And you wonder why people say mean things about the government, Bob!
Exactly you’ve hit the nail (actually a few nails) on the head.
The woke have a right to be offended, so people like sir Bob are doing a public service
Tony Ellis made a valuable contribution to upholding a real human right, to appeal convictions, by trudging to the Privy Council with a bag full of premature adjudications, so the Law Lords could advise our Court of Appeal that hearing an appeal before administratively dismissing it was desirable.
Ha ha..Of course the official reason for all this nonsense is that these are “aspirational” goals and essential for the orderly transition to a kinder fairer society…and who could argue with that.
It is time for the Sunday sermon of CAKE FACE. Today, i share a film review.
“Being There” was a comedy film about a kindly, smiling simpleton called Chance the Gardener (Peter Sellers).
He is middle aged, and has no life experience. He has never had a real job, other than gardening for his benefactor..
Through some unusual coincidences, Chauncey becomes a confidant and adviser to the President. He discusses gardening in response to a question about economic growth, as follows:
“President “Bobby”: Mr. Gardner, do you agree with Ben, or do you think that we can stimulate growth through temporary incentives?
Chance: As long as the roots are not severed, all is well. And all will be well in the garden.
President “Bobby”: In the garden.
Chance: Yes. In the garden, growth has it seasons. First comes spring and summer, but then we have fall and winter. And then we get spring and summer again.
President “Bobby”: Spring and summer.
Chance: Yes.
President “Bobby”: Then fall and winter.
Chance: Yes.
Benjamin Rand: I think what our insightful young friend is saying is that we welcome the inevitable seasons of nature, but we’re upset by the seasons of our economy.
Chance: Yes! There will be growth in the spring!”
The President, and everyone else, attribute deep philosophical meaning to Chauncey’s gardening comments.
The film implies near the end that Chauncey will become the next President of the USA.
In the final scene, which is much interpreted, Chauncey Gardiner walks on water.
Of course, its just a comedy film – there is no way a kindly simpleton, smiling and stupid, with no life experience, could really be elected leader in a democracy.
Out of interest, has Ms Ardern walked on water yet?
Having newly arrived in Wellington I caught the Mount Crawford Bus once by mistake. Once on board, being young and innocent, I wondered why so many of the ladies were dressed in nighties. It was midday after all. In hindsight, I think they were intending to give their men much more than just a hug during visiting hours !!!