Do air travelers have a legit right to recline?

So CNN is running an interesting piece about an altercation that erupted on an American Airlines flight last month, when the simple act of reclining one's seat just about led to fisticuffs, and ended with one passenger being "charged with assault 'by striking, beating, or wounding on an aircraft' shortly after the plane landed.

When I fly, I like to recline. I need to recline. And it doesn't bother me in the least when the person in front of me reclines. Not even when my tray is in the open position. So, really, I don't understand what all the commotion is about. Then again, I'm 5'2", so my legs aren't exactly scraping the back of the seat.

Do you think reclining your seat is a right? Or is it discourteous to the person behind you?