Rights. or is it right?

I read an interesting article yesterday here, the results of a poll that suggests that over 80% of the 27000 people who were part of the survey from all over the globe, suggest that the Net is a "Fundamental Right".

My idea of fundamental rights was a list of some words that you had to memorize, & be able to recite to pass your school exams. I can't remember one fundamental right or duty enshrined in the Indian Constitution. Or any other country's constitution for that matter.

I began to think as I write this if I know what I hold to be my own fundamental rights, my private Constitution. I struggle with the  thought, but here's a feeble attempt:

1. Right to decide what to do with my life & discover my own destiny.


2. Right to enjoy life & all that it has to offer


3. Right to learn more about anything that catches my fancy.


4. Right to my personal beliefs, & to change them.

This list is by no means comprehensive, & is something I have consciously set out to discover. I realize that these Rights also come with Duties or Action.

My personal role model, Ben Franklin had a list of 13 virtues he attempted to live is life by (you can read about them here), which he had a very interesting way of tracking. In his autobiography, he mentions how he would try to live each one of them for one week. Over the course of 52 weeks, he would have tried (& his achievements & life tells us he mostly succeeded) each one of them four times, he also tells us he tracked his results very diligently for quite a long period. (Reminds me to read the book once again, I don't seem to recollect some important details!)