The Pursuit of Happiness, Part 2

In a previous blog I wrote about the ideas behind the American dream of the right to the pursuit of happiness.  Here is an op ed piece from The Christian Science Monitor that speaks to our concepts of "rights."  It's appropriate because -- from a craft point of view -- no one can "give" you the ability to do well.  You have to earn it.  And this earning is part and parcel of the American dream.

By Mark W. Hendrickson / January 18, 2011 / published in the Christain Science Monitor

Americans have always been passionate about their rights. Whether conservative or liberal, we vigorously assert and defend them when we debate national policies like health-care reform or extending unemployment benefits.

Unfortunately, the concept of "rights" is often poorly understood across the ideological spectrum. Some conflate rights with responsibilities. Others label any benefit they think people should have – from food stamps to mortgage relief – as a right. Both are dangerous tendencies, because they reverse the American understanding of the relationship between citizens and government. A muddied understanding of "rights" undermines the basis of our freedom.

In the Founders' vision, government's sole legitimate purpose is to protect our rights. The Declaration of Independence specifies two essential points we need to understand about our rights: (1) They are God-given; and (2) they are unalienable.
Divine authority is a stumbling block for some Americans, but the second point should be clear to all.

That our basic rights are unalienable means, simply and unequivocally: No person or group of persons, including government, is justified (or authorized: see the Fifth Amendment) in trespassing upon anyone's rights – that is, in taking life, liberty, or property from another – except via due process of law as a penalty for having harmed or violated someone else's life, liberty, or property. One person's rights end where another's begin. Nobody's rights trump anyone else's.

Under the influence of progressive and socialist ideas, the American right to not have somebody take his or her property has been corrupted and inverted. Now, people often claim a "right" to have certain things provided by others. One of the most famous examples of this inverted concept was President Franklin Roosevelt's "Economic Bill of Rights." In 1944, FDR asserted that Americans had a "right to a useful and remunerative job," "a decent home," "adequate medical care," and so on. Nobody objects to decent jobs, homes, health care, and education, but these good things can't be "rights." If one person has a legal right to have a home, then other people must be compelled to provide that home. That would violate those citizens' rights to their own liberty and property. "Rights" in FDR's sense negates "rights" in the Founders' sense.
Citizens have at least three primary responsibilities in our constitutional, rights-based order: First, not to trespass on the rights of others; second, to provide for self and dependents; third, to provide some useful good or service to others in order to earn a living..

But don't we have a responsibility to help those who are in need? Yes, we ought to extend charity to our neighbors. This, however, is a moral responsibility, not a legal one. We are accountable to God, not to government, for our good works.

It makes no sense to say that those who work hard, are productive, and have savings, have a responsibility to provide for those who shirk that same responsibility. The American ideal is that we all have equal rights and responsibilities. Progressives and other social engineers, by contrast, believe that government should decide whose "rights" and "responsibilities" receive privileged treatment.

When politicians debate a new law, they consider purpose, price, and popularity. They must also consider consistency with the Bill of Rights. Future generations are counting on us to get our rights right.
Mark W. Hendrickson is an adjunct faculty member, economist, and fellow for economic and social policy with The Center for Vision & Values at Grove City College, which published a version of this piece.

The Japanese Print

Last Sunday, we went to the Legion of Honor to see an exhibit of Japanese prints and how they influenced the Impressionists.

One of the best parts of the exhibit was a video showing the printmaking process:  from making the paper, planing the Cherry block, transfering the image to the block, cutting away the excess wood to reveal the image, making the ink, making the Baren (a circular rubbing pad used to press the paper down on the block), and adding the different colors that make up the print.

For me the idea of making your own tools which, in turn, are used in the production of a work of art is a real pleasure.  It comes back to the original state of craftsmanship ... something at which the Japanese excel.  When I was carving wood, I ran across a fellow sculptor who made a special chisel for his work.  In itself it was a work af art. 

Another interesting aspect of Japanese printmaking was the business model it embraced:  producer, artist, carver, printer, and distributor.  My wife remarked that it was analogous to today's movie industry where you have a producer, script writer, director, actors, film crew, editor, and distributor.  

Here are a couple of favorites:  Hiroshige's Thunderstorm at Ohoshi from the series "One hundred Views of Edo;  and a print from Henri Riviere's series, The Thirty-Six Views of the Eiffel Tower.

Moving Day

Everyone has moved.  We are no exception.  This time, however, it was literally across the street.  We left our compact, one-bedroom apartment and segued to a contemporary. two-story, single-family house. 

So much space ... as the intro to Star Trek used to say, "Space ... the final frontier ...".

We're still unpacking boxes and probably will be doing this for a few weeks.  The cats are having a ball, running around and high-fiving each other because of all the exploring and viewing spaces.

I just read this morning that the mining industry is having trouble finding workers.  Another perfect example of how we've been taught that blue-collar work is beneath us.  I wonder how many college grads would jump at the chance to make some big bucks doing manual labor?

This is a trash receptacle in Paris.  Notice how it's so practical and simple.  A stand, to which is affixed a disposable plastic bag.  No heavy, bulky unsightly container.  Just pure, intelligent design.