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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Grade-school philanthropist Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' SOU hosts Foreign Language Film Festival this weekend Ashland, Scenic win Brain Bowl competitions 10 things to know for Tuesday Education Grade-school philanthropist Ashland, Scenic win Brain Bowl competitions Ten nonprofit proposals get a chance to pitch for support Teacher's Tips: Spring! Time for standarized testing Schneider Children's Center set to close Environment Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. 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Cyr: Afghanistan progress is uneven but undeniable State News Bill under debate in Oregon would limit livestock antibiotics Oregon lawmakers begin minimum wage debate Runners to follow historic salmon migration path Nation - World There's a $10 million precious stone hidden in plain sight at Grand Central Tsarnaev convicted on all charges in Boston Marathon bombing Obituaries Death Notices Kenneth Lee Barger Tanner Pascoe Death Notices Mary Margaret Galati Shareable Sports Latest Stories Oregon coaches, players ready to 'split up and play' Baseball: Controversy may be blooming over Pete Rose Blazers stay alive Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Adjustments, contributions keep Mt. Ashland on course High school Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis Neal, Reitman lead SOU at multi-event championships Ashland Karate Academy racks up trophies in Medford Ashland drops eight-inning pitchers' duel SOU swept, but gets help in playoff race Southern Oregon University Oregon coaches, players ready to 'split up and play' Fourteen Raiders earn CCC academic honors Two Raiders place seventh in CCC Multis Neal, Reitman lead SOU at multi-event championships SOU's Maguin pockets fourth CCC honor Voices Latest Stories Our View: Ski area slips by Letters to the Editor, April 29 Our View: Child care conundrum Letters to the Editor, April 28 Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city Editorial Our View: Ski area slips by Our View: Child care conundrum Our View: Fun with university funding formulas Our View: Passion vs. practicality spelled demise of Ashland theater company Our View: Raises raise eyebrows Letters Letters to the Editor, April 29 Letters to the Editor, April 28 Letters to the Editor, April 27 Letters to the Editor, April 25 Letters to the Editor, April 23 Guest opinions Guest Opinion: A good day to act Guest Opinion: Allegations unfair to Dr. Tomashefsky Guest Opinion: Fremont cottonwood is not a hazard Columns Council Corner: Strategic plan sets goals for city Chris Honoré: Things for which there are simply no satisfactory explanations Herb Rothschild Jr.: 'Right to rest' misguided Guest Opinion: A good day to act Jeffrey Gillespie: Bad cops vs. smartphones Chris Honore Council Corner Editor's Notes Jeffrey Gillespie Herb Rothschild Revels Latest Stories Community blog: Cut up that poetry Community blog: Workshop on writing and craft Ashland Middle School to perform "Shrek Jr." musical A Taste of Ashland returns Five picks for entertainment this week Theater Oregon Cabaret Theatre in Ashland to host Thanks for the Memories' 'Company' for one night Ticket Availability Ashland Middle School to perform "Shrek Jr." musical Ashland New Plays Festival is ready to grow, says new director Ticket Availability Music The Farr Side: Slow disappearance of physical music On TV: Your guide to the Academy of Country Music Awards The Farr Side: Intriguing time on the Hot 100 Joanne Rand at the Unitarian Fellowship The Farr Side: Is Kelly Clarkson’s weight truly news?  Visual Art More films, excitement than ever for AIFF Ashland's First Friday Art Walk Movies Movie review: ‘Lambert and Stamp’ doc tells who was behind The Who Movie review: ‘Ex Machina’ is the droid you’re looking for Movie review: Fairly smooth sailing for ‘The Water Diviner’ Movie review: ‘Age of Adaline’ is sweet but a little sloppy Movie review: Powerful, tense kidnapping story ‘24 Days’ delivers a strong message Food and Drink Business profile: Couple opens second Pita Pit in Ashland Cruelest Month: Poetry Blog Lifestyle Latest Stories Dear Monty: 10 tips to avoid tenant complaints Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' Lost in Suburbia: Tie a yellow ribbon ‘round the old oak bathroom Wry & Ginger: Birds of a feather flock and talk together Shayne Loooper: Don’t shrink-wrap the truth Aging Happens Inner Peace Column Inner Peace Blog Rogues: Tales from the Valley Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Photos Videos Blogs Business Business Services NEWS NOW Our View: Ski area slips by ... Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' ... SOU hosts Foreign Language Film Festival this weekend ... Our View: Ski area slips by ... Earth Day: Hope for our 'pale blue dot' ... SOU hosts Foreign Language Film Festival this weekend ... RELOCATIONS Herb Rothschild Jr.: 'Right to rest' misguided DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 25, 2015 @ 12:01 am Posted Apr. 25, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2324,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> My last two columns were inquiries into what happens when we address social issues from two alternative perspectives, that of the individual and that of the collective. Using two issues — right to work vs. union shop and childhood immunization — I discussed how differently the analysis plays out if we privilege individuals’ freedom to act on their own perceived self-interests or emphasize their obligations to enhance the collective good. In this column I’ll expand the inquiry by discussing, not individuals’ obligations to enhance the collective good, but the collective’s obligation to enhance the good of its individual members. Again, we’ll see the difference between starting from the perspective of the individual or of the collective. The first leads us to speak of rights, the second of care. That distinction is highlighted by a bill under consideration in Salem: SB 629, the Oregon Right to Rest Act. Among other provisions, it seeks to prohibit localities from criminalizing sleeping in public places such as parks, plazas and sidewalks. The bill is the work of the Western Regional Advocacy Project. WRAP explains on its website that “Ending homelessness in all of the states in the nation should be a top priority of policy makers and, until this is achieved, the criminalization of people simply because they have no home must be immediately halted.” So WRAP recognizes that the crux of the problem is a failure of collective care, and that endowing the homeless population with a “right to rest” is a way to ameliorate the impact of that failure. But asserting a right that doesn’t exist in our Constitution strikes me as a desperate and misguided remedy. Let us understand what a right is. It’s something I’m entitled to do or receive no matter what my society may think of me or my actions. Americans have the right of free speech even if we say things (e.g. hate speech) that undermine the collective good. Americans have the right not to testify against ourselves in court even if our testimony would establish the truth of the case. The Founding Fathers had excellent reasons for establishing these rights, both out of concern for the public good and out of respect for the individual. For example, the Fifth Amendment right not to incriminate oneself was meant as a bulwark against torture regardless of whether torture would produce truthful testimony. Endowing people with a right to sleep on the Ashland Plaza neither respects their human dignity nor enhances the public good. That our City Council has failed to provide a proper place for Ashland’s homeless to sleep is a subset of our larger societal failure to address the needs of people in dire poverty and/or afflicted with mental illness. But the most likely consequence of endowing them with a right to be a public nuisance is to erode our sympathy and excuse us from our obligation to care for even the least of our brothers and sisters. So approaching a societal problem from the perspective of individual rights usually weakens our sense of human solidarity. Doesn’t that strike you as explaining a good deal of what is commendable and what is disgraceful about this society? Yet I don’t believe the tension between rights and care need be as great as it is for us. There are two societal problems, however, where I think the tension is simply unresolvable. One is treatment of animals; the other is abortion. Next week I’ll elaborate on the second. Herb Rothschild Jr. is chairman of the board of Peace House. DailyTidings.com Writer Posted Apr. 25, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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