THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING A GOOD CITIZEN
Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good citizen first you have to be a good person. By that I mean that you have to be full of values, principles, ethics, etc. When joining all these aspects together you will find out that there is nothing else to be needed.
One important aspect for being a good citizen is to help people. All around us, we can see there are always people in need for our help. Our job as good citizens is to help those kinds of people. When talking about the people that need our help, I am not only talking about the poor ones, but also the pregnant woman who cannot carry a heavy package or the old man that cannot cross the street. Remember that little actions make the difference.
Another important thing we have to remember for being a good citizen is to have an active participation in our community. There are a lot of ways we can do that. When elections come for voting for the governor, we have to be in the line ready to give our vote. When there is a gathering of our neighborhood for deciding about the maintenance of the streets, we have to be there to tell our point of view.
The last recommendation for being a good citizen is the respect toward the people that live around us. We have to remember that as we have rights, they have them too. Respect is one of the most important bases when living in a society. We all have freedom, but it is restricted to certain point. We cannot consider a killer or thief good citizens as they have violated that restriction.
Through this essay, there have been exposed some ideas of what I think are the most important aspects for being good citizens inside a community. Now-a-days the relationships between people have been really deteriorated by misunderstandings that are generated day by day. To avoid having to deal with these kinds of situations, we have to be aware that the solution is in us. Values and ethics should be inculcated to people as they mature, as that kind of information will built them for being good citizens.
You may hear the phrase in the US that “it’s a free country,” and to an extent this is true. As a US citizen, you have many rights clearly defined in the Bill of Rights, which has been amended to promote greater inclusiveness of what defines a citizen. If you look at the early versions of the Bill of Rights, you will see the many exclusions to citizenship defined by the early United States and its founding fathers. Those not counted as citizens in early days included Native Americans, most African Americans, and most women.
Today a US citizen is defined as a person born in this country or a person who has gone through the full immigration process to become a citizen. In many cases, becoming a citizen in the United States means you forswear allegiance to other countries, though in certain cases, people can possess dual citizenship. But first and foremost, the highest allegiance you have as a US citizen is to your country.
So what are the rights of a US citizen? As defined by the Bill of Rights, anyone classed as a citizen has the right to practice any religion of their choosing, to freely assemble, and to speak or write their opinion, even if that opinion criticizes the government. Citizens also are allowed, under most circumstances, to possess weapons, and to be treated equally by businesses, education systems, and government institutions. Other protections include your right to be free from search and seizure of your property without a warrant, your right to privacy, and the right to a trial before a jury of peers if you are accused of crimes. Citizenship always means that if you are accused of a crime, the burden of proof is on the accuser, and you are always presumed innocent of a crime until a jury or judge decides otherwise.
As a US citizen, you also have certain responsibilities. You must remain lawful, obeying laws of both the country and the state in which you live. You cannot commit acts of treason against your government. Male citizens at the age of 18 must register with the Selective Service, and if a draft is in place, male citizens drafted must not refuse to serve their country.
Another responsibility is your willingness to respond to summons to juries when called. Since all citizens are accorded the right to trial by jury, regular citizens must staff juries. Normally a US citizen can’t refuse to serve jury duty. You do have to show up, though you may be granted an exception of being part of a jury under certain circumstances.
There is some dispute on whether voting is a right or a responsibility. As a US citizen you don’t have to vote, but many believe that full citizenship is realized as a result of a participatory electorate, or where all citizens exercise their right to vote. Nevertheless, voting is not a requirement of citizens, but rather a right.
For many, citizenship in the US is very special, and others bemoan the fact that people don’t realize how lucky they are. It’s easy to take for granted the rights that were hard won by early founders of the country, especially if you were born a citizen of the US. It’s interesting to note when people immigrate to the US, how many of them are very anxious to exercise the rights that many of us do take for granted. Immigrants often can’t wait to vote and eagerly anticipate their ability to take full part in the democratic process
Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens. To be a good citizen first you have to be a good person. By that I mean that you have to be full of values, principles, ethics, etc. When joining all these aspects together you will find out that there is nothing else to be needed.
One important aspect for being a good citizen is to help people. All around us, we can see there are always people in need for our help. Our job as good citizens is to help those kinds of people. When talking about the people that need our help, I am not only talking about the poor ones, but also the pregnant woman who cannot carry a heavy package or the old man that cannot cross the street. Remember that little actions make the difference.
Another important thing we have to remember for being a good citizen is to have an active participation in our community. There are a lot of ways we can do that. When elections come for voting for the governor, we have to be in the line ready to give our vote. When there is a gathering of our neighborhood for deciding about the maintenance of the streets, we have to be there to tell our point of view.
The last recommendation for being a good citizen is the respect toward the people that live around us. We have to remember that as we have rights, they have them too. Respect is one of the most important bases when living in a society. We all have freedom, but it is restricted to certain point. We cannot consider a killer or thief good citizens as they have violated that restriction.
Through this essay, there have been exposed some ideas of what I think are the most important aspects for being good citizens inside a community. Now-a-days the relationships between people have been really deteriorated by misunderstandings that are generated day by day. To avoid having to deal with these kinds of situations, we have to be aware that the solution is in us. Values and ethics should be inculcated to people as they mature, as that kind of information will built them for being good citizens.
You may hear the phrase in the US that “it’s a free country,” and to an extent this is true. As a US citizen, you have many rights clearly defined in the Bill of Rights, which has been amended to promote greater inclusiveness of what defines a citizen. If you look at the early versions of the Bill of Rights, you will see the many exclusions to citizenship defined by the early United States and its founding fathers. Those not counted as citizens in early days included Native Americans, most African Americans, and most women.
Today a US citizen is defined as a person born in this country or a person who has gone through the full immigration process to become a citizen. In many cases, becoming a citizen in the United States means you forswear allegiance to other countries, though in certain cases, people can possess dual citizenship. But first and foremost, the highest allegiance you have as a US citizen is to your country.
So what are the rights of a US citizen? As defined by the Bill of Rights, anyone classed as a citizen has the right to practice any religion of their choosing, to freely assemble, and to speak or write their opinion, even if that opinion criticizes the government. Citizens also are allowed, under most circumstances, to possess weapons, and to be treated equally by businesses, education systems, and government institutions. Other protections include your right to be free from search and seizure of your property without a warrant, your right to privacy, and the right to a trial before a jury of peers if you are accused of crimes. Citizenship always means that if you are accused of a crime, the burden of proof is on the accuser, and you are always presumed innocent of a crime until a jury or judge decides otherwise.
As a US citizen, you also have certain responsibilities. You must remain lawful, obeying laws of both the country and the state in which you live. You cannot commit acts of treason against your government. Male citizens at the age of 18 must register with the Selective Service, and if a draft is in place, male citizens drafted must not refuse to serve their country.
Another responsibility is your willingness to respond to summons to juries when called. Since all citizens are accorded the right to trial by jury, regular citizens must staff juries. Normally a US citizen can’t refuse to serve jury duty. You do have to show up, though you may be granted an exception of being part of a jury under certain circumstances.
There is some dispute on whether voting is a right or a responsibility. As a US citizen you don’t have to vote, but many believe that full citizenship is realized as a result of a participatory electorate, or where all citizens exercise their right to vote. Nevertheless, voting is not a requirement of citizens, but rather a right.
For many, citizenship in the US is very special, and others bemoan the fact that people don’t realize how lucky they are. It’s easy to take for granted the rights that were hard won by early founders of the country, especially if you were born a citizen of the US. It’s interesting to note when people immigrate to the US, how many of them are very anxious to exercise the rights that many of us do take for granted. Immigrants often can’t wait to vote and eagerly anticipate their ability to take full part in the democratic process
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