What is a right, fundamentally, at a basic level? And is it important?

We seem to have a fundamental misunderstanding in this country of a very important distinction. A distinction somewhat unique and enshrined in the founding of this country and the text of the constitution. Read the preamble to The Constitution here

Rights are not granted to the people by the government. We grant the government the authority to infringe upon our god given rights. This country was founded on the principle that government is created with the ongoing consent of the governed and is bound by and answers to the governed.

We seem to have flipped that on its head. We keep asking the government for permission to exercise our rights and pretending that it can grow itself without our expressed permission and to our detriment.

We as people have a right to exist and be free. Governments do not have rights. You weigh your freedom vs the loss of that freedom. Not your rights vs the rights of your government.

Here’s an example: The government infringes on your second amendment right when it stops you from buying a firearm.

We allow that infringement for a fixed time period. That’s a compromise. Allowing a longer or unlimited period is too great an infringement with too great a downside. Your rights in that case far outweigh the government interest in restricting that right.

That should make you happy. That our government is restrained.

I cannot understand the demand that the government take more freedom from you. Or worse that the government itself should determine which freedoms you are allowed to exercise. Why would you ask for that?