On Behalf of Sunny Naasiri

What does Rainborow want? Why does Ireton disagree with him?

Sunny Naasiri

HIST 100-033

03/14/2006

Colonel Rainborow of England held a debate with Commissary Ireton regarding the rights of Englishmen during the 1647. Rainborow wanted to distribute equal rights to citizens of all social status. Permanent residents should have the privilege to vote during an election because Rainborow stresses on the human natural rights. Freedom should be granted in order to make a nation truly understand the value of liberty amongst citizens. Rainborow also disagrees about the strict laws about class hierarchies that limit a person’s rights and enslaves them to be bound into its service. Tyrannical was the word the colonel describes it because from his perspective, it is mostly nobles and kings who wielded full authority against common folks.

Commissary Ireton on the contrary states that people should subdue themselves to law because too much liberty could cause chaos and disarray. From the general’s point of view, the law should be above an individual’s liberty. Foreigners who were not born in England should also not be given property rights to buy lands because they have not dedicated themselves to the kingdom of England. Hence, Ireton is a person who seems manipulative and cunning because men are required to perform services for a country’s personal gain. Ireton’s character clings onto his militaristic ways that a strict order should be established between classes and therefore he does not truly understand the value of an individual’s rights.

From my perspective regarding this issue, there is a fine balance between natural rights and the law. People should not be subjugated by tyranny because it may cause a rebellion, they should be allowed to act freely in their homeland. On the contrary, if we are dealing with criminals then there should be a strict law because too much freedom can be hazardous because hot-headed and violent people may cause chaos in the land. In this case, there should be more freedom and less authority because human nature does not like control. Take a caged animal for example, would they like being locked up? Same goes to this.