Inalienable Rights
Inalienable rights are rights we have as humans that cannot be taken away by laws.
The whole congregation of Israel shall celebrate it. If an alien who resides with you wants to celebrate the passover to the LORD, all his males shall be circumcised; then he may draw near to celebrate it; he shall be regarded as a native of the land. But no uncircumcised person shall eat of it; there shall be one law for the native and for the alien who resides among you. - Exodus 12:47-49
In today's reading from Exodus, we read about aliens who want to participate in the Passover. To do so, they must be circumcised. They need to become a part of the community.
Once they are circumcised, they are treated as a native of the land, one just like the rest.
Until then, they don't get the same rights as a native, a member of the community. They need to become one of them in order for there to be one law for all.
Today we might argue that all should be able to enjoy the same benefits, without restriction. But if a native has to follow the law, shouldn't the alien have to follow it also?
The controversy we face in our country today over these human rights is all about understanding the terms of qualification. Does the U.S. Constitution apply to citizens of the U.S. or to everyone?
If we believe these rights apply to everyone, regardless of homeland, then the laws should govern all as well.
The opposite, though, does not necessarily hold true. When we travel abroad, we have to abide by the laws of the land we are in, but we don't gain the benefits of citizenship while we are there.
No matter where we stand on this issue, there is one thing we can agree on. The laws and the rights go together.
One cannot receive the benefits of the rights without observing the laws.
That makes the concept of a sanctuary state questionable, since the U.S. Constitution is fairly clear on the roles and limits of the different levels of government.
So, let the games of Constitutionality begin, but let us not forget the reason behind them.
If the question is how do we afford everyone the same rights, as guaranteed under the Constitution, then we should address the requirement to follow the law.
Or else we have anarchy.
More to come...