Minimal Rights And Freedoms Of Individuals In A Sovereign State

From The Middlebury Institute:


MIDDLEBURY INSTITUTE PAPER V



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March 2007

Introduction to "Minimal Rights and Freedoms of Individuals in a Sovereign State"



Because questions keep coming up as to the kinds of states that secessionist organizations are working toward, and because each organization in the movement has an interest in the objectives of any other organization, it seemed to us here that it might be appropriate to send out a suggested platform of the rights and freedoms that might be guaranteed to individuals in any future seceded state.



The idea is to provide to people in the movement, as well as in the general interested public, an idea of the basic nature of the independent states that we are working toward. That will help to assure that as individuals and organizations we will continue to give support to our sister organizations no matter where they may be, knowing that they stand together with us on certain bedrock principles.



We invite all organizations in the secessionist movement to sign on to the principles drafted below if they seem just and adequate. At the same time we might begin a dialogue on whether these are too restrictive or too liberal, whether they should be added to or amended—or, indeed, whether this sort of statement of rights and freedoms is necessary and appropriate as we here at the Institute feel them to be.



There are important issues here and we hope you take them seriously.





MINIMAL RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS OF INDIVIDUALS IN A SOVEREIGN STATE





Rights to

Life, liberty, security

Equality before the law

Trial before competent tribunal, due process, counsel, appeal

Possess property and not be arbitrarily deprived thereof

Periodic elections with universal adult suffrage

Secession by any coherent unit



Freedoms of

Speech, opinion, expression in any media

Peaceable assembly, association

Belief, thought, religion, worship

Movement within any state, and to leave and return



Freedoms from

Slavery or servitude

Discrimination on the basis of race, color, sex, religion,

political belief, nationality, property, or birth

Torture or degrading treatment

Arbitrary arrest or detention

Invasion of privacy

Arbitrary deprivation of citizenship

Any action by the state to destroy or deny any of these rights and freedoms



Signators:



Middlebury Institute, February 2007

Second Vermont Republic, March 2007

Southern National Congress Committee, March 2007