2008 Woodie Awards
Citizens . . . it's not just a bank
Kelly Jones '07
Issue date: 10/19/06 Section: Commentary
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I went to Europe this summer. I'll skip the bragging. Suffice it to say that a) I had a blast, and b) I was embarrassed to tell the rest of my international roomies at the hostel which country was mine. This could be a personal problem, but I'm going to write this article based on the assumption that the concept of citizenship has become such that Americans are forced to choose between being frustrated, embarrassed, or apathetic about their citizenship.
Citizenship is not essentially a question of birthplace or ethnicity-it is something beyond nationality. Though there is sometimes a great deal of legal mumbo jumbo that comes with becoming a citizen, we should ultimately define ourselves as citizens because we are active people, engaged in our communities both politically and socially.
What does this activity entail? First, an investment in decision making, both local and national. This requires a lot of time, commitment, and research which many 'citizens' shrug off as impossible to catch up with once they've passed eighth grade civics class.
Second, a close monitoring of officials and those to whom we have given authority is necessary. The media makes this an almost impossible task as well, considering the quagmire of bias and misinformation that American citizens have to wade through. For example, National Public Radio reported a study at Johns Hopkins University that claimed 655,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. occupation. In a recent press conference, President George W. Bush claimed that that number was "too high and not credible." Unfortunately, it is the job of dedicated citizens to weed out the correct authority to believe. Because this is a daunting task, many who only feel their citizenship implicitly do not take up the responsibility of being active.
For an example closer to home, one can look to the Narragansett Indian Casino that Harrah's desperately wants to build in West Warwick. For this to become a reality, the people of Rhode Island will have to allow their constitution to be amended. Many feel that the casino will bring a substantial amount of revenue and property tax relief to the state. Some are for a casino because it promises to provide jobs to Rhode Islanders. Others feel that a casino will bring psychological damage and ruin to local businesses, which outweigh the fiscal benefits mentioned above.
Citizenship is not essentially a question of birthplace or ethnicity-it is something beyond nationality. Though there is sometimes a great deal of legal mumbo jumbo that comes with becoming a citizen, we should ultimately define ourselves as citizens because we are active people, engaged in our communities both politically and socially.
What does this activity entail? First, an investment in decision making, both local and national. This requires a lot of time, commitment, and research which many 'citizens' shrug off as impossible to catch up with once they've passed eighth grade civics class.
Second, a close monitoring of officials and those to whom we have given authority is necessary. The media makes this an almost impossible task as well, considering the quagmire of bias and misinformation that American citizens have to wade through. For example, National Public Radio reported a study at Johns Hopkins University that claimed 655,000 Iraqi civilians have been killed since the U.S. occupation. In a recent press conference, President George W. Bush claimed that that number was "too high and not credible." Unfortunately, it is the job of dedicated citizens to weed out the correct authority to believe. Because this is a daunting task, many who only feel their citizenship implicitly do not take up the responsibility of being active.
For an example closer to home, one can look to the Narragansett Indian Casino that Harrah's desperately wants to build in West Warwick. For this to become a reality, the people of Rhode Island will have to allow their constitution to be amended. Many feel that the casino will bring a substantial amount of revenue and property tax relief to the state. Some are for a casino because it promises to provide jobs to Rhode Islanders. Others feel that a casino will bring psychological damage and ruin to local businesses, which outweigh the fiscal benefits mentioned above.