What Makes A Good American Citizen

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What does it mean to be a good citizen? How do I become a good American citizen? What does it even mean to be a citizen? A citizen by definition is “a native or naturalized member of a state or nation who owes allegiance to its government and is entitled to its protection” (dictionary.com). Yet being a citizen means so much more. As a US citizen, we have certain rights and responsibilities, that are defined in the Constitution. It’s our own interpretations of it that make us individuals, and our common standards that define us as good citizens of the United States.
There are many qualities that make a good American citizen. I feel that one of the most important characteristics of a good American citizen, is that they have pride in our country. …show more content…

To me it is a nice idea, but it isn’t real. It is this idea that America is a place that all your dreams can come true, and that you can be whatever you want to. However, it’s not that simple. America is the land of the free, but it isn't as easy to achieve your goals as people make it seem, you actually have to work for it. Because of recent events in our government, coming to our nation isn’t even a possibility, and so for their people the “American Dream” has become unattainable. Another important subject to many people in America is the equal rights amendment, and with that I do agree. Men and women should be paid and treated equally. However, some problems may arise with this amendment. One may be that not everyone will follow the law and not apply these rules and regulations. If women want equal rights, then they have to deal with the pros and cons of that. They can’t expect exemptions in certain areas. One of the last topics that I will talk about, that is important to many Americans, is gay marriage. Gay marriage is something that is a new addition to several states in the US. It is a very controversial topic. There are 37 states in the US that have legalized same-sex marriage. In the eyes of someone who is conservative, this is something that they would be very against, as compared to a liberal who would show support for this sort of

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