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L. Neil Smith's
THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE
Number 453, January 27, 2008
"Judy Rue Liani, the Parisian streetwalker
cross-dressing former mayor of New Jack City"
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The Good Neighbor's Bill of Rights
by John R. Lowther, II
wjrlii@yahoo.com

Attribute to The Libertarian Enterprise

"In life there are two kinds of people: Those who wish to control others and those who have no such wish. The former may be high minded idealists, and the latter surly curmudgeons, but they make better neighbors."
—paraphrased from Robert A. Heinlein

The following is an admittedly incomplete list of the rights of individuals, based on the facts of having an independent will and being self-aware. It is beyond question that rights not enumerated here exist, and future ages will doubtless discover more as we evolve as a free people. Rights certainly presently exist which are not listed, but may be reasoned from those listed. The People shall have the right, individually or collectively to take any action necessary to end a violation of these rights, up to and including deadly force.

This listing of rights is not hierarchical: Simply because a right is listed earlier in this Bill of Rights, does not grant it priority over rights listed later. For example, you do not have a right to my property simply because you will die without it.

The general principle of this Bill of Rights, article zero, if you will, is: "No one has the right to initiate force against another for any reason whatsoever." (L. Neil Smith) Anything which violates the rights of an individual is an initiation of force.


  1. Life. Life is the right to live without your rights being violated.

    1. Freedom from coercion. No one has the right to initiate or threaten the use of force against another.

      1. The people, individually or collectively shall have the right and obligation to suppress any person or organization which practices coercion. They may enforce their right to freedom from coercion by any means necessary, up to and including deadly force.

    2. The right to self-defense.

      1. The right to the equip yourself to defend yourself within your means.

        1. You have the right to own any weapon you can afford.

        2. You have the right to exercise your own judgment as to which, if any, of your weapons you will carry under any particular circumstance.

  2. Liberty. Liberty is the right to act as you wish so long as it does not interfere with other people's rights.

    1. The right to Think.

      1. You have the right to think as you will.

    2. The right to Communicate.

      1. You have the right to say what you think in any medium, so long as you do not violate anyone else's rights in the process.

    3. The right to Act.

      1. You have the right to do what you will so long as you do not violate anyone else's rights in the process.

    4. The right to worship.

      1. You have the right to worship any god or gods you chose in any manner you chose, so long as you do not violate anyone else's rights in the process.

        1. You have the right not to be coerced into practicing any religion.(Emphasizing I-1)

        2. Governments shall take no notice of any religion which does not practice coercion.

    5. The right to engage in commerce.

      1. Anyone may sell anything he or she owns at any price a buyer is willing to pay.

      2. Anyone may buy anything a seller is willing to sell at any price the seller will accept.

    6. Privacy. You have the right to be left alone.

      1. You have a right to keep your thoughts, records and ideas to yourself even when they are set in tangible form.

      2. You have the right to keep your actions done in a private place to yourself, so long as they did not violate anyone else's rights.

        1. When others are involved in those actions, they have an equal interest in privacy, unless they have explicitly and voluntarily entered into a contractual agreement granting an asymmetrical degree of privacy.

  1. Property. The right to keep your stuff.

    1. The right to your own body.

      1. You have the absolute and unquestionable right to make decisions regarding your body. While you might exercise your right to “sell” your body, you retain an absolute right to make decisions regarding your body so long as your will and sentience exist.

        1. You have the right to determine what health care services you will receive within your means.

        2. Reproductive health.

          1. No one may be required to breed or forbidden to do so.

          2. Anyone may control their fertility by any method they can afford.

    2. The right to whatever personal property you can afford.

      1. No one may take your personal property without your permission.

    3. The right to whatever real property you can afford.

      1. No one may enter your real property without your permission.

      2. No one may take your real property without your permission.


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