General Principles of Sentient Rights

The Statement of Sentience: 
*A sentient being is any being or any species that can state that it has rights and articulate an understanding of those rights, or the young of any such species. 
*Once one member of a given species has stated it has rights, all members of that species are considered sentient and have rights, even politicians.
*Any species that cannot state that it has rights, and articulate an understanding of those rights, is not sentient. They should still be treated in a humane fashion. Just saying.
The Statement of Rights:
*Sentient beings have the following rights: Such rights do not devolve from any government but are the natural, intangible property of all sentient beings. Such rights belong to the individual. No group has any greater rights than the rights of each individual within that group. The good of the many is not greater than the good of the few, or the one.
*The right of self ownership. All sentient beings own themselves. Their life and body are not the possession of a state, a group, or any other person or body other than themselves. Life is theirs to enjoy or squander.
*The right to self determination. A sentient being is responsible for its own actions, and is not responsible for the action of others. A sentient being cannot be forced to act on the behalf of another sentient being, or against another sentient being. This means no conscript armies, no invasions, no aggression.
*A sentient being has the right of self defense. If a sentient being is assaulted they have every right to defend themselves with such force necessary to stop the assaulter, permanently if necessary. No assaulter is immune from this. Governmental sanction to commit assault violates the rights of sentient beings, see above. A badge does not give you super rights or immunity against being defended against.
*The right to an assumption of innocence and a fair trial if accused of harming another sentient being. Crimes against the state is a null statement as you cannot "harm" a thing that has no rights.
*The right and responsibility to choose and watchdog their government. Government among sentient beings is a fact of life. Systems that concentrate power are dangerous. It is up to the sentient beings to control the concentration of power and see that no one gets to use it for long.
*The right to practice or not practice belief systems and philosophies that do not violate the rights of others. Yes this means religion. You can believe as you please. This does not mean you can force anyone else to profess belief in it, or cause harm to anyone as part of the belief.
The Statements of What has No Rights:
*Government has no rights. No government has the right to exist or to violate any of these principles and rights. The sentient beings have a right and responsibility to end and/or change any government that does violate any rights. Government is at best an uneasy servant, and always a terrible master.
*Belief systems and philosophies do not have a right to exist or be forced on any sentient creature. It is noted that the mixing of religion and politics is perhaps the worse idea Man has ever had, it serves nether the cause of religion or the sentient creatures, and is the cause of most of the institutional evil in the world. The Sentient beings have a right and responsibility to end belief systems and philosophies that do force themselves on others. Blasphemy, heresy, and non compliance are not crimes; they harm no one. Any belief system that cannot stand of its own accord is obviously not worthy of practice. When "god" however it is seen can step forward and declare it has rights in its own person we will consider this.
*Corporations are not sentient beings and therefore have no rights, all legal trickery aside. It is unnecessary for a business to be a person to sign a contract. This agreement and those agreeing to it make no pretense that any legal construct is a person with sentient rights.
The Statements of what are not Rights:
*Sentient Beings do not have the following rights. This is mentioned because certain sentient beings have made it necessary.
*Sentient beings do not have a right to not be offended. It is going to happen, someone is bound to do or say something you don't like. Offense is not harm. You are not entitled to money, making them stop, or even an apology. Grow a spine.
*Again because it needs to be said. Religion doubly has no right to be not offended. It has no rights to start with. If you think god as you see it is offended, we will wait until they show up in their own person to tell them the above. Likewise your lifestyle group, political back slapping club, particular disability, or color of skin. Grow a spine and get over it.
*Sentient beings do not have the right to live well. No one owes you a living. You have a right to life, but how well it is lived is entirely up to how hard you are willing to work. Taking from someone else no matter how rich they are is taking--harm--even if you convince your government to do it for you.
*Trying to keep someone from earning a living is likewise harm. Your business model has no rights and you have no right to a business model. Innovate or die.
Finally:
*Be kind to each other. Again, just saying. It solves a lot of the above before it gets started.
Category:Intangibles
Category:Treaties
Category:Epiphany Trek