My point is that banning abortion and Medicare and positive rights.  Both require action by the state rather than a prohibition on state action (negative rights).  The Jews had a negative right to be left alone by the state, which the state ignored.  Women have the same right unless their unborn children are given a positive right of legal personhood.  You have a negative right not to be killed randomly by a police officer.  You have no such right not to have your wife kill you - protection by the police or retribution by the justice system are positive rights.  Negative rights exist without government action (although they often take legal action to enforce - which includes gay marriage, which is a negative right to be treated like anyone else).  Positive rights exist in the political process.  Gotta have the votes. There is not positive or negative right to avoid taxation, by the way, not even in Catholic doctrine.