I’ve always found myself bothered by the saying “A driver’s license is a privilege, not a right”. It’s a way for those with authority to warn drivers that they could lose their licenses at any point, so sure, it is rhetorically powerful. And, to an extent, it holds some truth. People can lose their licenses. But so what? People can lose their unfettered ability to walk around freely when they go to prison. But I doubt anyone is about to claim that we therefore don’t have the right to walk into our backyards whenever we damn well please.
So again, yes, the saying holds quite a bit of strength. But it is purely rhetorical strength. As for actual logic, it fails for the simple reason that we tend to define a right as something that is available to everyone on an equal basis (which is why marriage is a privilege where as the federal government and most state governments are concerned). Yes, there are requirements – people must pass tests. But people must also register in order to exercise their right to vote. And yes, there are ways to lose one’s license – drunk drivers do it all the time. But people also must not commit certain crimes if they want to continue walking around freely. So no, you rhetoric machines of authority, a driver’s license is not a privilege. I can get it, a Mexican can get, a woman can get it, and anyone else can get it. It is a right.
Filed under: Misc | Tagged: Driver's license, Thought of the day | 6 Comments »
For the Sake of Science 