Our Responsibilities

Our Responsibilities Responsibilities are voluntary; people are not arrested or punished if they do not fulfill these obligations. The quality of our government and our lives will diminish, however, if our responsibilities are not carried out. Four responsibilities we have as Americans are Informed, Vote, Participate in Government, and Respect Rights of Others. As citizens we should know what the government is doing and to voice your opinion when we feel strongly about something the government has done or has failed to do. Being informed also means knowing your rights and exercising them when you feel it is necessary. Voting is one of your most important responsibilities as a citizen. By doing so you exercise your right of self-government. When you vote you are choosing the people that are going to run our government. Taking the responsibility to vote ensures that leadership is changed in a peaceful, orderly manner. Another responsibility of citizens is to participate in their community and in their government. Just think about what it would be like if you had no one to be mayor, if no one would volunteer to fight fires or coach a baseball team, and if no one would ever speak out or do anything to help solve community problems. So, if we have people involved in the communities and government they are more likely to end up well run. To enjoy your rights to the fullest you must be prepared to respect other people's rights as well. An example is if you live in an apartment building, you have the obligation to keep the volume on your radio and television down so that it does not disturb your neighbors. You should expect they would do the same for you. Also you have the responsibility to show the same respect for public property and for property of