Being A Good Citizen, What Is Needed To Become One, What Are The Benefits, and The Responsibilities.

To be a good citizen, is very important. There are citizens, but everybody cannot be a good citizen. A good citizen needs to absorb many qualities. That he has some duties and responsibilities to bear is true, but at the same time he also enjoys some rights and privileges as a citizen of a free state. While he has every right to participate in the judicial, legal, political, religious and social affairs of the nation, he also has some responsibilities that is, not to injure the sentiments of others and to protect the weak against strong. To stand by state, under all the constitution, is his first and primary duty which he must perform.

A good citizen must be ready to sacrifice everything for the sake of his motherland. He is also required to be a patriot and nationalist. He should have firm and deep faith in the welfare of his motherland. He has to obey law and order. But he has to also keep in his heart, the good of the country, the welfare of the state, and the good of the society. A good citizen must respect the cultural heritage of his country. He will have to respect the heroes, the prophet, the sages and saints of his country. He must respect the race which has given him birth. He must always keep in mind the future of his country. He must raise the standard of living if his country by working honestly, and should always be honest towards his duty.

At the time of hostility from foreigners, he must be ready to shed his blood for the sake of his motherland. As a result, defense of the country is the ultimate duty of a good citizen. A good citizen must live in peace and harmony with his neighbors and fellow citizens. He must love the institutions of his country, and must always respect the laws of the state and should have no tolerance for those who are criminals.

A good citizen always works for the unity. He should work for the unity of the country. Good will for other races, protection for the weak, help for the victims, understanding and kind consideration to his fellow citizens, are all things that are needed in a good citizen. A good citizen must have a spirit of cooperation, friendliness, and dedication for his fellow citizens. He must respect other faiths, and not do something which brings disgrace to his society or to his country.

THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF A GOOD CITIZEN

These include the duty to back the government, to vote in elections, provide public services to institutions of government and to review and question governmental decisions.

To have the freedoms that we have, we must fund our government agencies. The Departments of Health, Defense, Education, Housing etc, all exist to make the citizens' lives better. To enjoy trouble free lives, the citizen must pay taxes.

Voting in elections is the only way citizens can stay free. When citizens fail to vote or have political opinions, they allow vested interests to have their way. This can restrict their personal freedoms.

It also the responsibility of a free citizen to provide public service to the government. This means volunteering for various agencies and charities, but it also means to serve jury duty. Without this component, people will most certainly lose the opportunity to be judged by a jury of their peers.

Finally, it is a citizen's duty to scrutinize the government's actions and take stands against oppression and the loss of their civil rights. When citizens get too unworried, they will not notice when their freedom is being abridged. To make sure that none of these negative things happen, the citizens of a society must act in an active productive way be interested in what is going on around them, and be aware and participate in the changes they may face.