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Rights that have to be contested are rights that are energetically argued over because

people face problems in valuing as well as understanding the tension that is developed by these

rights. In most cases, rights that have to be contested create a rift between good and bad,

dignified interventionists and cowardly apologists, dangerous relativist and moral Universalists

who structure rights as ideal or political rights (Smith, p.62). On the other hand, respecting rights

is simply abiding by the rights of others and further following them. Respecting rights also

means refraining from activities that can interfere with the rights of other people. Respecting

other people’s right to assist individuals to feel safe and express themselves freely (Freeman,

p.20). The main difference between rights that have to be contested and respecting rights is that

rights that have to contested are contentious while respecting rights simply means abiding by the

rights and refraining from curtailing the rights of other people.

A person that is contesting rights has different ways of thinking about the right. He or she

may analyze these rights according to his or her way of thought. In most cases, they try to reach

an agreement that favors them. For instance, a person contesting rights may allege the content of

a particular right in one way or the other that the right is unjustified which creates disagreement

between the opposing sides. On the other hand, a person that respects rights accepts them the

way they are even when they conform or not conform to them creating a feeling of safety, trust,

and wellbeing. More so, a person that respects rights is responsible to make his or her own
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decisions and respect the decisions of others. He or she also listens to what another individual

has to say and further gives them affirmation. Understanding and respecting other people’s lives

is a notable example of respecting rights.

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Works cited

Freeman, Michael. Human rights. John Wiley & Sons, 2017.

Smith, Rhona. International Human Rights Law. Oxford University Press, 2019.