The right to life is the gateway to the rest of the rights available to every human being.
The right to life is fundamental so that each human being can enjoy the rest of the rights at their disposal, such as the right to dignity , the right to justice and the right to equality . It has a universal character and contemplates, as can be seen from the same expression, the existence, development and evolution of someone so that they can live independently and decently.
One of the first articles of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights focuses on the right to life . In this framework it is detailed that both this and security and freedom must be guaranteed for everyone.
It should be noted that respect for human life , for a considerable part of the population, governs from the stage of conception , while another sector maintains that the fetus must reach a certain maturity or even that the being must be outside the womb. to be the object of rights . As the legislation aims to ensure that no one is arbitrarily deprived of their dignity or life, there are multiple debates and points of view in relation to realities such as euthanasia , the death penalty and abortion . There are political, sociological, philosophical, ethical, biological, religious and anthropological principles involved in the analyzes and discussions on the matter that lead to support or to demonstrate rejection or opposition, depending on each case.
Importance of the right to life
The importance of the right to life is such that there are judicial provisions to protect and enforce it. Also treaties of international scope and many national constitutions are based on it, connecting it with the right to personal security and the right to liberty , to detail two for reference.
Each State , and entities focused on social welfare, would always have to work with the objective of not only protecting human existence but also making it dignified. Their efforts and measures must also be aimed at preventing the aforementioned right from being violated or the integrity of any subject being attacked. From a perspective of respect for life , there is no room or admission for murders or for any of the actions classified as crimes against humanity , for example.
The right to vote guarantees citizen participation in the election of their rulers.
Armed conflicts and social insecurity
Armed conflicts and social insecurity inevitably lead many people to leave their place of stable residence for another country or, at least, another region within the same national area. In the desire to be safe and to be able to dream of a peaceful future as a family in a territory that is not haunted by terrorism , war or high levels of crime or violence , numerous men, women, children and young people become refugees. .
It should not be overlooked that those who carry out forced displacement or, for economic or other reasons, become migrants have rights.
The Argentine National Constitution protects the human right that makes it possible for someone to establish themselves in an area or nation other than their own. Unfortunately, it is common for those who settle far from their homelands due to situations of violence or persecution to be victims of attacks of xenophobia and racial discrimination . This social segment has to know that the so-called right to asylum exists, while international organizations have to fight for it to be respected and fulfilled.
Freedom of the press goes hand in hand with freedom of expression and has censorship as its main threat.
The right to life in practice
The right to life in practice forces us to think and debate numerous issues from different perspectives.
In each case, to form your own well-founded opinion, it is essential to gather objective information and consider the arguments both for and against. Of course, there are issues that should not be subject to debate or give space to more than one position. Gender violence , child exploitation (a shocking reality that violates children's rights ), forced disappearance , genocide and slavery , for example, are practices that should always be condemned and fought by society as a whole.
The panorama is different when laws related to euthanasia , the death penalty , assisted suicide and abortion are at stake because it is necessary to listen to and respect all voices, prioritizing the well-being of the majority of society.
When focusing on the dignity , well-being and survival of the community, on the other hand, it is vital to highlight the value of the right to health (and with it, the right to medical care without distinction or conditions of any kind), the right to physical integrity (in this framework, manifestations of torture or inhuman treatment that put someone's moral, psyche or physique at risk are not admitted), the right to education , the right to work and the right to food , among others that are basic and essential.