| | Joe,
Instead of saying "I have a right to free speech", you could easily put it in another form by saying "My speech should be free". Or you could say something like "My speech is rightful", which puts it in another form as well. This is intriguing. I remember when we debated about the harmony of interests being the logical/empirical foundation of anything that deserves to be called "rights." I liked that debate because it expanded my mind. I'm thinking in even more general terms now: "The speech of mankind should be free.", "Human speech is rightful."
If claiming to be in personal possession of rights is problematic (as in your essay), then what about the issue of claiming personal use? Is it good enough to remain in the particular (as in your quote above)? Is there any clarity to be gained from generalizing away from the particular? Questions to ponder ...
Ed
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