As part of my continuing series of letters to the editor on basic human rights I will list part one of my summary of some of those rights in this letter.
The first three rights listed in this summary: freedom of religion, freedom of dissent, and freedom of thought and inquiry have been printed in their full versions in previous letters to the editor. A brief explanation for freedom of religion was also printed in an earlier letter.
Freedom of religion is the right to peacefully and openly practice a religion of one's own choosing or for one to practice no religion at all and to be free from government-inflicted persecution, forced conversion, intrusion into the internal affairs of one's congregation, denomination, or faith, and the establishment of a state church/state religion or militant state atheism.
Freedom of dissent is the right to openly express one's criticism of or opposition to the statement's policies and actions of one's government during peacetime or wartime without fear or punishment. Freedom of thought and inquiry is the right to think for oneself by researching, debating, reflecting upon, and forming conclusions on all matter of subjects from the mundane to the profound without interference from the government.
Freedom of movement is the right to travel freely within the borders of one's nation without obtaining permission from the authorities to do so. Freedom of commerce is the right to honestly buy, sell, or trade legitimate goods and services with others through a mutually agreed upon price for the purpose of monetary gain for oneself or others.
Part two of my summary will follow at a later date. Full versions of those rights listed in this part and other parts of my summary, along with brief explanations of those rights will follow in the near future.
