Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country”. These inaugural words, exhorted by John F. Kennedy on his oath ceremony as 35th President of United States, inspiredhis nation to realize the importance of civic responsibility for a greater good. Civic responsibility is the ideathat encourages community participation in governance,plays a paramount role in building national integration and paves the way for a true model of democracy.
Further,the conceptenlightens us to understand what it means to be a responsible citizen.It encompasses the duties and responsibilities which are required by a citizen to perform for his state.Duties are the obligationsa citizen has tofulfill. They comprise obeying the law, paying taxes, defending nation and attending school.
Let us dive into each of these in more depth. Laws are created to keep citizens safe and keep order in the society. By obeying laws citizens can insure peace and safety of their community. For instance, a car must stop at a red signal, following that law is important because it helps to prevent accidents and keeps traffic patterns to run smoothly.Paying taxes is another duty that citizens are responsible to perform. You often hear people complaint about taxes and lament that their taxes will be unused. So,what exactly are taxes?Taxes are the amount of money that citizens are required to pay to the government.
Generally speaking, taxes are the most important necessity for a government to operate. Citizens pay taxes to support government projects that directly benefit them. These are used to pay for road repairs, government labors, schools, health and more.
Moreover, populaces are also obliged to defend their nation. It is most important duty because it keeps citizens safe. People join army, navy and air force to defendtheir country. In some states, all male citizens are abiding by law to get registered with the selective service system. Law of US is thecase in point thatbounds all male citizens to serve in any one of the armed services between the ages of 18 to 25. This means if there require more military personnel then these people can be drafted for war. If drafted, it is their duty to serve and defend the country.
Even kids have duties. Many countrieshave made it obligatory that kids should attend schools from age of 5 to 18 years. It is also the duty of parents to send their children to schools.Schools prepare students for their future workplace environment and enable them to become an efficient and productivehumanresource for a country.
So, if those are the things that you must do as duty, what are the things that citizens have responsibility to do?And remember while responsibilities are not required by law, they are things that you should do to be a good citizen. After-all we have a responsibility to contribute to common good of our society. If we want to have a country that thrives and helps all its residents our first responsibility is probably the vital one and that is to vote. Voting is to pick out leaders who make our lives better. Obliviously, if we want a government that is going to help us, we have the responsibility to vote for whoever we think is going to do the best job.
One way to keep our government honest and looking out for best interests is to communicate with them and this is another responsibility. Citizens should communicate with government officials to influence their actions. Latters might not be persuaded by one individual’s opinion but if lots of us do it they will come to know that this is an issue that might be something that they need to look into. If they don’t take our communication earnestly, we are going to vote for someone else. So, expressing your opinions to your elected representatives in public meetings is a good way to address public issues.
Now in order to know where you stand on certain issues, who you are going to vote for and how you might participate, you have to keep informed about current issues. And it is anotherresponsibility.A well-versed electorate is who lets us to choose best leaders to guide our country, our state and our local community.Another great responsibility, to get involved on an individual level, is to participate in political campaigns. If you really care about the directions your country going in and you want to help those you feel will help to improve your situation. Then, volunteering in political support is the great way to help such persons get elected and it is an important responsibility.
In a democratic society there are going to be those who hold opinionsdifferent from yours. It is important to respect the opinions of those you don’t agree with.This is the big problem in Pakistan today political bickering seems to divide our country. In order to get things done, it is crucial that both sides of political spectrum work together to address problems for solution. This is the one responsibility that Pakistanis really still need to workout.
Obviously,being a good citizen and helping our countryinvolves more than just politics. As, the government cannot address every issue, people are also expected to provide community service to help their nation.A civic or social service is a voluntarily action thathelps to improve your society.Volunteer citizens give their time and efforts to help and address issues pertaining to public good without getting paid. Such as, cleaning streets, tutoring others, helping elderly or sick are the public services a responsible citizen renders to improve community and fill some of the gaps left by the government.
Summing up,the concept of citizenship responsibility helpsthe individuals of a state to realize that,it is not only government who is responsible for providing public service. But the citizens should also contribute for community good. Additionally, the idea helps to establish a true form of democratic governmentthat encourages communal participation into the governance system.Furthermore, this phenomenon enables the people to strive for their state in anerudite, dedicated, and productive manner, with an emphasis on the shared welfare.
