Rights & Responsibilities of Citizenship

An Introduction to the Gold Standard of Citizenship

The United States is the gold standard for freedom and rights of citizens. Not only are American’s rights unprecedented in all of human history, they are set forth in the Declaration of Independence, and further enumerated and protected by the U.S. Constitution, the world’s longest surviving written charter of government.

The Constitution begins with We, the People, affirming the government has one purpose, and one purpose only » to serve its citizens.

The authority of the people is established in Article 1 of the Constitution, which creates the legislative branch of government, the Congress. The Congress, comprised of the people’s elective representatives and organized into two houses - the Senate and the House of Representatives, is responsible for organizing the second branch of government, the Executive (Office of the President), and the third branch of government, the Judiciary (Courts). The elected representatives, aka the people’s voice, is the first branch of government for a reason. The people are supreme.

In addition to setting up the structure of government, the Constitution enumerates a series of fundamental rights for its citizens (which come from the Declaration and the Constitution), none of which can be curbed or curtailed by the state without due process of law. Due process itself is an extremely modern concept in law, but sadly is routinely taken for granted.

The Citizen’s Almanac describes some of these rights as follows. The Declaration and the Constitution, of course, includes the comprehensive list.

Rights of Citizenship

1 - Freedom of Expression

2 - Freedom to Worship As You Wish

3 - Right to a Prompt, Fair Trial By Jury

4 - Right to Keep and Bear Arms

5 - Right to Vote in Elections for Public Officials

6 - Right to Apply for Federal Employment

7 - Right to Run for Elected Office

8 - Freedom to Pursue “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness”

These rights explain the opportunity to be a part of American governance, the process of self-government.

—

But, there are no free lunches!

Along with rights come responsibilities … along with benefits come burdens.

The Almanac summarizes a citizen’s responsibilities as follows:

Responsibilities of Citizenship

1 - Support and Defend the Constitution Against All Enemies, Foreign and Domestic

2 - Stay Informed of the Issues Affecting Your Community

3 - Participate in the Democratic Process

4 - Respect and Obey Federal, State, and Local Laws

5 - Respect the Rights, Beliefs, and Opinions of Others

6 - Participate in Your Local Community

7 - Pay Income and Other Taxes Honestly, and on Time, to Federal, State, and Local Authorities

8 - Serve on a Jury When Called Upon

9 - Defend the Country If the Need Should Arise

—

In recognition of these rights and responsibilities, all naturalized citizens take the following Oath of Allegiance to the United States:

I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the United States when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.

For those of us who are natural born citizens, many of us have taken oaths of allegiance to the United States preceding service to the country as civil servants, members of the military, or otherwise.

» But, have we taken the citizen’s oath to heart? «

Think about these words and ask yourself …

• Am I a responsible citizen?

• Do I really understand what that actually means?

Stay tuned for a deeper dive!

Until next time …

God Bless America!

The Savvy Citizen Team

October 5, 2023