Human Rights : The Right to Life<4>
The Universal Declaration of Human Rights describes 30 basic rights that each person has, simply because he or she is human.
This is human right number 3 (the simplified version):
"3. The Right to Life. We all have the right to life, and to live in freedom and safety."
Now read the short story about this important human right.
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The Right to Life
Daniel is worried lately. Usually life is good for him. He owns a nice little shop where he sells souvenirs to tourists. He lives in a nice cottage with his wife and their three teenage kids. They have a dog and a cat. They have a backyard for barbeque. They host all the family gatherings, and his wife's turkey is the best in the country. What can be better than that, right?
But lately not all is well. There are dark clouds in the sky. They talk about terror. They talk about war. Something may happen. The comfortable life as he knows them may be lost forever.
"War is not good," he thinks. "War is bad for business. If there is war no tourists will come, and I won't be able to sell my souvenirs. We will have no money."
Then he thinks, "and war creates fear. People will be scared. Some will see no future."
Then he thinks, "People will fight. People will die. Families will be broken. No, war is no good."
Daniel talks to people about it. "We have the right to life!" he says, "we have the right to live in freedom and in safety!"
"What are you talking about?" people tell him. "War is a big deal. It is not up to you. It is up to the government. The government knows what to do. only the government can decide what is best. And if the government says that there must be war, then it must be so."
Daniel does not accept this. "But isn't there a better solution? All wars end with agreements, can't we do the agreements without the fighting? Can't the government solve this peacefully? Isn't that the reason we have a government in the first place?"
Daniel decides to speak to people in his government. He decides to write them and let them know what he thinks. He knows one opinion does not matter much, but he also knows that if everyone in his own country and on the other side would do this, there will probably be no more wars.
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EXERCISE
WORD BANK:
a | about | accept | agreements | all | and | barbeque | best | business | cottage | deal | decides | end | everyone | Families | fight | for | forever | gatherings | government | him | in | is | lately | may | must | no | only | opinion | owns | peacefully | place | probably | right | safety | so | solution | Some | souvenirs | talk | than | the | Then | thinks | to | tourists | up | war | well | will | write
Daniel is worried ( ). Usually life is good ( ) him. He ( ) a nice little shop where he sells souvenirs to tourists. He lives in a nice ( ) with his wife and their three teenage kids. They have ( ) dog and a cat. They have a backyard for ( ). They host all the family ( ), and his wife's turkey is the ( ) in the country. What can be better ( ) that, right?
But lately not ( ) is well. There are dark clouds ( ) the sky. They ( ) about terror. They talk about ( ). Something ( ) happen. The comfortable life as he knows them may be lost ( ).
"War is not good," he ( ). "War is bad for ( ). If there is war no ( ) will come, and I won't be able to sell my ( ). We will have ( ) money."
Then he thinks, "( ) war creates fear. People will be scared. ( ) will see no future."
( ) he thinks, "People will ( ). People ( ) die. ( ) will be broken. No, war ( ) no good."
Daniel talks ( ) people about it. "We have the ( ) to life!" he says, "we have the right to live in freedom and in ( )!"
"What are you talking ( ) ?" people tell ( ). "War is a big ( ). It is not ( ) to you. It is up to ( ) government. The ( ) knows what to do. ( ) the government can decide what is best. And if the government says that there ( ) be war, then it must be ( )."
Daniel does not( ) this. "But isn't there a better ( )? All wars( ) with agreements, can't we do the ( ) without the fighting? Can't the government solve this ( )? Isn't that the reason we have a government in the first ( )?"
Daniel ( ) to speak to people in his government. He decides to ( ) them and let them know what he thinks. He knows one ( ) does not matter much, but he also knows that if ( ) in his own country and on the other side do this, there will ( ) be no more wars. ( )