Or what does it mean to be a good citizen?
These are questions not asked much by schools or society anymore. The answers to these questions used to be part of the fabric of America. Post-modern answers aren’t the same as just a couple generations ago.
In 1902 Teddy Roosevelt said this about citizenship: "The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight." Obviously Teddy didn’t have much of a “victim” mentality.
Researching citizenship, and trying to find what made a good citizen, I kept ending up with references to the Boy Scouts. I was a Boy Scout so that is part of what shaped me. Traditionally what it means to be a good citizen was and is hammered into Boy Scouts. The stuff scouts had to memorize, their Oath, Law, and Motto, are the basis of a good citizen.
Scout Oath:
On my honor, I will do my best
To do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout Law;
To help other people at all times;
To keep myself physically strong, mentally awake and morally straight.
Scout Law:
A Scout is: Trustworthy, Loyal, Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, Obedient, Cheerful, Thrifty, Brave, Clean, and Reverent.
Scout Motto:
Be prepared!
Obviously if we all acted and took seriously what Boy Scouts strive for we'd live in a more charitable nicer place. If we look closely at the Scout Oath, Duty is important. What should a citizen’s duty to their county be? I think that it is to be charitable to their fellow man. A citizen should first exercise charity by training himself to be self-reliant in ordinary things, not out of pride, but out of a sincere desire to free others up for their own duties, and to free himself for things that are not ordinary.
One of the best, if not the best, compliment I ever got was when I changed the tire for a mature lady who had a flat (pre cell phones). About 9pm heading home I saw her on the side of the road, stopped and changed the flat, her car wouldn’t start because she’d been sitting there with her lights on and the battery was almost dead. I got out the jumper cables and got her started and on her way (total time at side of road for me was around 10 min, tire and jump). When it was all done she offered me a couple bucks, which I declined. She then said, “You were a Boy Scout, I can always tell. Thank you.”
I said “Yes maam, how’d you know?” She replied, “Because you followed Scout motto and were prepared for all my problems, not just your own, and you were following the Scout Oath, “helping others at all times”, and you were “Helpful, Friendly, Courteous, Kind, and Cheerful”. I’ll bet you already have or will demonstrate the rest before the day is over. All my boys were scouts; it helped to make them good men just like you.”
When I was in high school they taught AVC (Americanism vs. Communism), by the time I graduated the course was replaced with CPS (Comparative Political Systems), you had to take history, civics, and AVC. Now all that is required is American History and a ½ semester of Economics. You can graduate high school and not have ever discussed the facts behind anarchy, despotism, socialism, communism, fascism, and capitalism. Much less understand them. The term “free enterprise” is never uttered nor critically compared to the alternatives. Sorry, but our current system of corporatism is not free enterprise.
Our schools now teach that the government grants rights.( LINK) Our Leaders tell us that people who are self sufficient (read that as tax payers) got there by luck not hard work and effort, implying it is only prejudice and circumstance that keeps people from being independent. Our schools are burdened with "No Child Left Behind", meaning that no child can get ahead. Our government rewards bad citizens, and punishes good citizens. The leaders in Washington call those who would hold them accountable, luddites and worse.
A traditional belief in citizenship, and the meaning of liberty should be taught in our schools. More importantly questions like these:
Is a good citizen dependent upon their neighbors to provide for their food?
Is a good citizen dependent upon their neighbors to provide for their housing?
Is a good citizen dependent upon their neighbors to provide for their protection?
Is a good citizen dependent upon their neighbors to provide for their health care?
Is a good citizen dependent upon their neighbors to provide for their retirement?
What does your neighbor owe you? Why?
Obviously the answer to all of the above is no, and just as obviously at some time may good citizens will need the help of family and neighbors temporarily. No good citizen would accept or be dependent upon their neighbors for their food, housing, protection, health care, all the time. A good citizen will voluntarily care for his neighbors, especially those who can’t do for themselves, like orphans, widows, etc. A good citizen like a good Boy Scout will be prepared; will have storm supplies, to provide for himself and his family in time of natural disaster; will have either adequate savings, or insurance to cover health, and other emergencies; will work and do all that he can to not be a burden to his neighbors; will help his community when it is in need; will stay informed on issues, vote, and make sure his leaders know what he wants; will not leave politics to so called “experts”. Lastly a good citizen will have the means to protect himself, his family, and those who can’t protect themselves.
If we could instill the basic beliefs that the Boy Scouts strive, into every person we would have a much better place to live. We can’t, people are not inherently good, they don’t “help other people at all times” nor can they be forced to. But failing to educate our children what a good citizen is, teaching them that the government gives them rights, not holding people accountable for their actions nor ever letting them suffer for the bad decisions they make, is a failure of good citizenship on us all.
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