It is common knowledge that our Human Rights include a Right to Life. This Right to Life can be found in several notable international instruments. For example article 3 the Universal Declaration of Human rights. Here it is stated that everyone has the right to life, liberty and security of person. A similar provision can be found in article 2 European Convention on Human Rights and article 6.1 the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
The definition of the Right to Life according to the European Convention on Human rights place both negative and positive obligations on the state. The negative obligation is simply to not – unless it is absolutely necessary – impose deadly violence on its citizens. The positive obligations include having effective law-enforcement machinery. However, the positive obligations should not be interpreted in a way, which impose an impossible or disproportionate burden on the authorities. Suffice to say, the current definition of the Right to Life is limited.
If we look at the word Life in the dictionary we find the following definition:
The condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death.
As such, the way we have defined Life currently is simply as being the difference between organic and inorganic matter. In using this limited definition of life, it is easy to see that the Right to Life would merely involve not being killed. But, the word Life does hold more potential than merely being an indicator of what is organic and what is not organic. Life, and living life, entails quality, entails being able to live with dignity, and being gifted the opportunities to create your dreams. Because, is life really life if it cannot be lived to its fullest?
Can we say that a person born into poverty has a life? We can conclude that he is organic, he is breathing and his heart is beating – however – is this sufficient for us to call this person a living being? And this brings us to the word survival – because survival and living is not the same thing, yet they can be easily mixed up.
Survival is defined in the dictionary as follows:
The state or fact of continuing to live or exist, typically in spite of an accident, ordeal, or difficult circumstances.
What stands out is the word EXISTS – and that is the difference between living and surviving. When you are surviving, being of organic matter, you exist, when you are living, you are able to create and build something from your existence. Your able to make yourself bloom, expand and reach your fullest potential and anything less than cannot be defined as living.
For example, by implication, the Right to Life must include a Right to Money, because without Money, you cannot possibly create a life for yourself in this world. Without money you do not have a voice. Thus it is fascinating to observe that in the discussions regarding the Right to Life, and in the various Human Rights conventions – there has been NO mention of the Right to Money.
Though, when you look at it, it is easy to see that for anyone to actually LIVE – they must have money. With money you buy food and clothes, and you pay for rent. To get a decent education, you must have money. All the basic Human Rights require Money in some way or another to be fulfilled and realized – hence the Right to Money should be obvious.
Some might argue that there should not be such a thing as a Right to Money, because apparently, money is earned. However, the truth is that money is manufactured. Money is created by banks, federal and private, and lent out at an interest – and this is the way money is brought into circulation. The idea that money should be earned is as such a fiction pushed by the ruling classes in order to ensure that the way money is created and distributed in society is not questioned.
The Human Right of The Right to Life cannot only be seen as a Right not to be killed – it is also – by implication – a Right to Create Your Own Life – a Right to have Access To Money. Today, we have the notion that money is a scarce resource – this is a artificial scarcity created by the fact that all money are introduced into society as debt with an interest – causing a constant shortage of money. And this is nothing short of a human rights abuse – when we consider how dependent we all are on money to be in our lives for us to be able to live effectively.
