Which came first: rights or responsibilities? One could argue that rights create responsibilities, but for all of human history, it has been the other way around. Responsibilities are what gave people their rights.

It wasn’t until the year 1689 that the western world formally began to acknowledge what we take for granted. The English Declaration of Rights not only stated that the monarchy was not above the law, but acknowledged individual rights that could not be taken away. It is from this document that our Second Amendment rights originated.

The relationship between rights and responsibilities is reciprocal. You cannot have the one without the other. Rights without responsibilities is tyranny. Responsibilities without rights results in slavery, yet another form of tyranny.

Here’s the scary part. Not once, at any point in my public education, has anyone overtly said this aloud. Instead, it is understood that students had rights, but with the subtle expectancy of responsibilities to follow.

Note that I say public education. When I was enrolled at private school, our teachers made sure we understood this concept. So why’s there such a difference? And who cares anyways?

The private school I attended had  what I believe to be true values. Public school did not hold those same values. There’s very little emphasis on morality in public schools. Just this weekend someone told me, “My son was shocked when his teacher showed the class a sex scene. But at least it wasn’t too intense.”

Knowing this, it might surprise you that that school ranks in the top 30% of all high schools in the country. Imagine what happens in the bottom 70%…

As a student, I believe teachers have the right to educate their students how you wish. But, it is their responsibility to give students the highest quality education possible. These two things combined are what give a classroom its value. Furthermore, it is the pursuit of the highest values that give our educational institutions their prestige.

There is an unlimited number of values one can have, so how can I say some values are better than others? Just look at the outcome. If going to the gym each morning is something you value, then you are more likely to lead a healthy, productive life. But if an extra hour of sleep is more valuable to you, then you lose two weeks of your life each year, that could have been spent improving your overall health. Is that harsh? Probably. I have the right to sleep, but the responsibility to get up and conquer the world!

This relationship between rights and responsibilities defines nearly every action we make. Our brains are wired to only focus on what matters. The world is far too complex to understand it all at once. Our vision discriminates against everything except for the one thing which we are focused on: the thing which we value at that very moment. This clarity is why we value our sight, and the same reason why people wear glasses.

This week’s articles are an opportunity to rediscover the importance of knowing your rights, while maintaining your responsibilities. Perhaps nothing I say will be groundbreaking to you, or maybe you’ll discover something new.