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USA, day 621 of the New World



The lack of citizen involvement in our nation is a quiet epidemic

Increasingly, we are not living up to our responsibilities as citizens.
Our lack of involvement is widespread. Everyday we hear of government, media, party, military, or business actions (or inactions) that cause us concern. But we do nothing about them.

Each nation faces economic, social, security, educational, and legal challenges. But solutions to these challenges are more effective if a greater number of citizens become effectively involved.

Too many good people do nothing.

“All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing.” – Edmund Burke


Americans need a broader view of citizenship

Our view of citizenship has become skewed. We look more at our rights than our responsibilities. When individuals or special interest groups want something, they claim it is their right. And, we expect the government to take on what should be our responsibilities.

The Declaration of Independence promises “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”. We have become more interested in our “pursuit of happiness” than keeping our country safe (“life”) and free (“liberty”). We have forgotten that if we do not fulfill our responsibilities, we will have no rights.

Most Americans see citizenship as voting, jury duty and occasional community service. Keeping democracy strong demands much more. We as citizens must be vigilant and involved. We must each make small sacrifices every day by doing simple, yet powerful citizen actions.

“Patriotism is not short, frenzied outbursts of emotion, but rather the tranquil and steady dedication of a lifetime.” – Adlai E. Stevenson, Jr.


Remind Us of Our Heritage

It is important to teach new citizens, and to remind ourselves, of our heritage:

# of why and how we became a nation,
# of the basic principles and documents upon which the country was founded,
# of what it took to achieve today's standard of living,
# of the mistakes we've made and,
# of the individuals and events that have played major roles in shaping the country.

Appreciating one's heritage is a prerequisite for taking actions to sustain it. Being aware of our heritage helps us to appreciate what we have and to see our shortcomings so they can be addressed.


Involve Us in the Democratic Process

One of the unique characteristics and basic tenants of a democracy is that its citizens get to vote – both figuratively and literally - and that each citizen is able to live the life of their choosing - to be able to say and do what they want - within the law.

We are a democracy. A democracy is a form of government that is "of, by and for" the people. Of the People means the government is comprised of regular citizens; by the people means the government is elected by its citizens; and for the people means that the sole purpose of the government is for the benefit of all its citizens.

The democratic process is the way we make that happen. We make the "of the people" part happen by running for public office; we make the "by the people" part happen by doing the things needed to elect our best to public office; and we make the "for the people" part happen by doing those things that keep us educated on important issues, that keep elected officials aware of our points of view, and which enforce our laws. The democratic process is not a methodology, but a lifelong way of thinking and acting.

When we invest time, energy and money in something, we tend to care more about that something. So actions that keep us involved in the democratic process help us care about and appreciate our democracy and freedoms. They are the actions most closely associated with citizenship.


Support Groups With A Responsibility For Keeping The Country Strong

There are certain groups whose jobs were specifically created to keep the country strong. Strong in the sense of safe; strong in the sense of fair, useful and enforced laws; strong in the sense of educated citizenss; strong in the sense of talented leaders with the best interest of the country at heart. These groups include:

# Elected officials
# Military personnel and veterans

By understanding the issues these groups face; by supporting and challenging them when appropriate; and by ensuring that these groups attract the most talented individuals and have the resources they need to carry out their functions, we can help them do a better job and make the country a better place to live.


Help Us Understand Our Government

In the United States, our governments are entities created by us to potect us and our property and to provide services we believe should be provided by a central group.

As citizens, it is critical that we understand what our government is doing and how it is working so we can make sure it doesn't take on more power and responsibilities than we gave it and that it is carrying out the powers we did give it well.


Strengthen Individuals and Families

It is often said, and it is usually true, that the whole is greater than the sum of the individual pieces. In the case of a country, it is equally true that the stronger the families and individuals within that country, the stronger the country. That is what the actions in this section are about - actions that help individuals believe in themselves and actions that help families enable individual growth.


Be 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.


Effective citizens do simple, yet powerful, things - citizen actions - on a daily basis that keep our country strong, vital and free.

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Kindest regards,
Nero Preto ~ press director of The New World Times