Citizenship, A Right And A Responsibility?.

When I think of America I think of freedom and citizenship. The right to vote or the right of free speech are aspects that, as citizens, we posses. Being born in America automatically gives you these rights and many more, and most importantly, you become a citizen. Now, with citizenship comes responsibility such as obeying the law and paying taxes. So if you follow these simple rules does this make you an effective citizen? This question, in my opinion, is almost impossible to answer for a number of reasons, which will be addressed in the following paper. It was extremely hard to come up with a clear cut answer as to what an effective citizen entails. I grappled with this term through many drafts and in the end came up with many conclusions about effective citizenship. Let me state my main point of this paper, and that is, effective citizenship entails so many things and the true meaning of a “good citizen” differs from person to person and from time to time. In this paper I will share with you how the idea of effective citizenship varies according to person and time and my personal beliefs on what is effective citizenship.

As an American citizen I have a responsibility to this country as a citizen. I also have rights because I am a citizen of this country. Firstly, as stated above, being a citizen of America entitles me to certain inalienable rights, and among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness (Jefferson, 352). Thomas Jefferson made sure that as American citizens, each and everyone of us has these rights which are documented in the The Declaration of

Independence. Each citizen has rights and with these rights comes responsibility, responsibility to themselves as citizens and to the country.

In my opinion, as citizens, we must make certain sacrifices for a greater cause. These sacrifices include paying taxes and obeying laws. We pay a portion of our hard earned money to the government which is for the greater good of the country. The tax money goes to funding for better schools which we send our children to and for better roads. The money also goes to pay for police and fire protection which we depend upon every day, these people are a necessity to our daily lives. Citizens must also abide by certain laws, which in the mind of some citizens, is a sacrifice. My answer to...

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...tive citizenship I would say, “see also, Dr. Martin Luther king Jr.!”

Being an American citizen entitles you to many rights but with these rights comes a responsibility be it to vote or attend a meeting. In order to become an effective citizen you must follow and fulfill your responsibilities as a duty. Finally, to quote an unknown author on what it is to be a good citizen, “Good Citizens are responsible and accountable for their actions and the results of their actions. They have characteristics of honesty, integrity and respect for the lives, opinions and property of others. They are actively involved in the community in which they live.....”(Time Magazine, 95) “The development of good citizens is vital to the well-being of every community. A community’s future depends largely on the number and quality of productive, law-abiding citizens who are committed and prepared to serve their community....”

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Bloom, Lynn and White, Edward. Inquiry. Boston: Blair Press, 1993.

Somerville, John and Santoni, Ronald. Social and Political Philosophy. New York:

Doubleday, 1963

Jefferson, Thomas. Declaration of Independence. Philadelphia, 1776.