You are reading this article. That means you exist. That means that by nature of your birth you have certain rights that nobody can give or take away. The Greeks and Romans talked about these rights. Their recognition persisted through the establishment of religion and law in the Middle Ages. They remained robust through the reformation and “Age of Enlightenment.” They made their way into The Declaration of Independence.
Their durability stems from the fact that they are “self-evident.” No one needs to explain how they came to be. It is natural. Incontrovertible. Life. Liberty. The pursuit of happiness. The right of defense. The right to live.
Natural rights are not dependent on law or customs. They are fundamental and inalienable. Governments cannot justly take them away. They differ from “legal rights” where a mutually agreed upon system of government modifies, repeals, and interprets the day-to-day functions of a society. Whatever else is agreed upon, the “natural rights” still exist – you can’t take away what was never yours to give.
The Framers of the U.S. Constitution did not grant fundamental rights. Rather, they acknowledged their foundational existence. They did so to ensure that the government could never seek to deny those rights. The Second Amendment of the Constitution is a perfect example. The right of self-defense (the right to “keep and bear arms” to maintain individual and national “security”) would not “be infringed.” At the end of the day, one can hope that Government is there to protect from bad decisions, bad people, or dangerous animals, but the ultimate responsibility falls to the individual. It is “natural” to protect yourself and those you love.
Today it is easy to see that the individual right to security, the Second Amendment, would have been jeopardized if the Framers of the Constitution had neglected it. Unfortunately, they assumed that certain other rights were so “evident” that no person would argue them – like the right to hunt and fish for food.
The individual right to seek “food security” was so elemental that the Framers believed it didn’t need to be stated. It seemed ridiculous, and rightly so, that government would consider telling citizens that they couldn’t hunt for food, clothing, or to meet other basic needs. But here we are.
A group of special interests in Colorado is seeking a ban on hunting. They call it “Trophy Hunting.” They start with animals they believe people will connect to emotionally – large cats. But this is only the beginning. This is a first assault on the natural right to hunt and fish for food.
What is Trophy hunting? That is a lot like asking someone what kind of gun you “need?” The answer is always subjective. In Colorado, there is no “waste” of meat from mountain lion hunting. The laws of the state ensure that the meat is taken. For every hunter defining a trophy is subjective – because it is anything and everything. The “trophy” is the memory, it is the meal on the kitchen table, it is the antlers, it is the hide, it is everything about the experience – tangible and intangible. That is how it should be.
Hunters value wildlife in ways that non-hunters don’t. They invest in wildlife habitat, numbers, and sound management. They do it in an informed and active way that non hunters don’t. Consider: the majority of funding for wildlife habitat, management, and conservation comes from one source – the hunters and firearm owners of America.
State wildlife and habitat management agencies depend on two primary sources of funding. The first is the Federal Aid in Wildlife Restoration Act, known as “Pittman Robertson.” That funding ($1 Billion per year) comes directly from the manufacturers of firearms and ammunition. That money is then matched dollar for dollar (as required by law) by license fees paid by American hunters. Hunters care more than non-hunters. The receipts prove it.
The Framers of the United States Constitution never imagined that radical interests would try and ban hunting. Fortunately, lawmakers in conservative states saw this coming. Twenty-two forward looking states have constitutional amendments protecting the right to hunt and fish. Unfortunately, Colorado is not one of those states. Maybe it is time.
The recognition of the individual, and individual rights, lies at the heart of our agreements on mutual government. We believe that all are created equal. We believe that everyone is born with certain “God given” rights. It is up to the individual person to decide how they will choose to exercise those rights – perhaps they choose not to. But the right exists – because the individual does.
Protect your rights. Exercise them. Own a firearm. Buy a hunting license. Speak up. Go outside and enjoy nature. You have the right to these things. They are as normal as waking up. They are your natural rights.
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