Debunking “group rights”

What are group rights, exactly? What rights should groups have that are not already accorded to individuals? In other words, what rights should a group have that an individual doesn’t already have?

Group rights are advanced by various minority groups. They take many forms: women’s rights, indigenous rights, gay rights, Native American rights, African-American rights, and so forth. These groups all claim to be oppressed and therefore demand special “rights.” The native Hawaiians are a perfect example of this phenomena.

But, again, where do these group rights come from, and how exactly are they established in the first place?

Group “rights” come in two basic flavors: the divine right and the “restitution” right. The divine right is rather straightforward. It simply says, “I am born Chamorro (or Carolinian). This is my island. Therefore, only members of my race can own land.”

The compelling logic is clearly beyond dispute. It is basically the same as saying, “Only Caucasians can own stocks of American corporations.”

Now who could possibly argue with such a self-evident truth? Which is essentially the same as saying, “Only pure-bred Aryan Germans have a right to live in Germany.” Clearly all very logical and beyond reasonable dispute.

The second type of group right (restitution) is slightly more complicated in its justification. The restitution right can be neatly summed up as follows: “I am a Native Hawaiian. America stole ancient Hawaiian property and politically, culturally and socially disenfranchised my ancestors. Therefore, I have a right to demand just compensation in the way of additional (i.e., special) ‘rights.’

“I, for example, demand the right to a publicly funded Hawaiian Affairs Office. I also demand the right to a Hawaiian Studies Department at the University of Hawaii. I further demand the right to free UH tuition for all native Hawaiians.”

The problem with this restitution group right argument, however, is that even if we grant them the premise that Americans unjustly harmed ancient Hawaiians, it still does not follow that we are obligated to punish this generation of Americans for what their colonial ancestors may have done to the ancient Hawaiians.

To draw this argument out even further, let us suppose that Mr. Fritz beat the heck out of my great grandfather. It does not then follow that I have a right to beat the feces out of Mr. Fritz’s great grandson in retaliation for what his ancestor may have done to my long-dead relative. Obviously, Mr. Fritz’s great grandson would have absolutely no control over what his ancestors may have done; therefore, he would have to remain completely blameless.

Group rights cannot be properly defended. They don’t exist. Only individuals can have rights.