[pdkl95]

To take this a bit further:

Concepts like "rights" and "freedom" are easy when it is people you like doing things that you like. It is so easy, that it isn't even necessary to bother with the formalization of those concepts in these easy cases. The entire point of "rights" and "freedom" is that they must be upheld for the people you hate, doing things that you hate.

When judging the level of freedom in a society, you don't look at how the normal citizen is treated; you look instead at how the underclass, criminals, and other disliked groups. If their rights are overlooked and ignored, any claims at being a "free society" is just marketing/PR.

[abakker]

Thank you for saying this.

If there is every a doubt in your mind, consider that at some point, your actions, race, or lifestyle might make you the target of similar hate. It is very bad for any majority group to be able to take the rights away from any minority group.

I'd point to the overturning of CA Prop 8 as a major success of the equal protection clause, and a good example of this concept in practice. - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Proposition_8_(2008)