Rights and Obligations

The note at left lies at the crux of much of what is wrong in our world today.  We, especially Americans, feel entitled to an ever-expanding set of rights (now, including the right to infect others with COVID-19).  But we have little sense of obligation to those living around us–now, or in the future.

Only about half of Americans self-identify as “environmentalists.”  The other half has very little concern about the quality of the planet available to our fellows, and even less about what we will be leaving for our grandchildren.  Isn’t that astonishing?