Journal 4

Javier Abad

I define a good citizen as a person who has good morals, works hard, and
is responsible for his or her actions.
I am a good citizen to myself by waking up every morning with the thought
of having a good day with good people and doing what we need to do to
get ahead in this life.
I do my best to help, be kind, and lend people some knowledge if they
need it. We are all in the same boat, we all have a similar vision of being
successful, one way or another, so that's why I think it is my responsibility
to do unto others as I would want them to do unto me. As for the
community, I think it's everybody's responsibility to take care of their
surroundings. I take responsibility for my community by never trying to put
anybody in danger, taking care of my homes property value, obeying and
respecting the rules of my neighborhood. A way to I would serve society is
to give back. I would go feed the homeless, donate to those in need, or
volunteer in a non profit organization to raise awareness. To our country I
think the best way to be a good citizen is just to obey the rules. Yes, there
might not be things we agree with but what can we do. We have no power
to make any rash decisions and get away with it. Also if I had information
that needed to be brought up to the public, I would let it be known. I think
Martin Luther King and Thoreau all had similar ideas about how a citizen
should behave and what how the government should treat us.

I believe that my rights are well kept. In this nation I have been given a
good opportunity to become anything I set my mind to. That state of mind
awakens my liveliness, it lets my ambition live, grow, and manifest into the
vision I have drawn for myself. My moralities and values are well
respected. They are kept safe within me, because of how I was taught.
I was lucky to be raised well with the gift to still make my own decisions but
with that I have my own responsibilities to deal with the actions I have
made. The law is double sided because certain things are accepted in
other states but not in ours, so people are susceptible to getting in trouble
even though it's allowed somewhere else. Being free comes with a big
responsibility. Due to the fact that you can't just do whatever you want. We
have to be civilized, have manners, and be chivalrous. Being older I have
the responsibility to pass on the morals that are going to make the
oncoming generation more responsible, reliable, and dedicated to living
life. I think as children our parents decide what our responsibilities are. Not
only within the home but also within society as well as teachers and other

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Javier Abad

educators. As we become adults the government dictates what we are

responsible for. I think we do require constant enforcement. We think that
because we are a free nation we can do whatever we want and get away
with it. That is why we have a police force in place that can reprimand
those who take advantage of the freedoms we are given and reinforce to
the community that this is not a free-for-all. I think parents are another big
group of people who enforce our responsibilities throughout of lives. I
would say that the government, ultimately, are the people who decide what
and who we are responsible for. They get the final say, although the people
can choose whether or not they agree and are going to abide by what the
government has set in place. I dont think that people realize how lucky we
are to live in this country and have the opportunity to indulge in the
freedoms that our country offers on a daily basis. Too many people have
suffered and died fighting for the things that we take for granted every
single day. It is our responsibility to honor and respect those people and
make use of all the time, hard work, and effort that they have put in to
achieve our freedom and get our nation to where it is today.

Given my own opinion, I don't think anything needs to be 'done'

to these people. Every individual has a right to his or her opinion,
even if it differs from the rest of society. Given, if they are going
so far as to disregard the law and taking action in a negative way
then yes, some sort of punishment needs to be put in place.
When an individual has a large issue with the way something is
enforced then they have the right to speak out about it, bring up
the points that they have and conclude with supporting evidence.
Those who do not agree dont have to, although that doesnt
mean that the thought is wrong or that it should be treated
poorly. Having different values and different mentalities is what
makes society unique. Rather than being one sided, its different
to hear what others think and believe based on how they
matured and experienced life. If its a big issue to something you
strongly believe in, there are ways to get around it by simply not
attending the seminar or getting into conversations about the
topic. Don't associate with people who believe in those values. No
one should be denied the opportunity to voice their opinion and
or concerns about any particular topic and no one should have to
fear thinking out loud and sharing their thoughts. America
continues to work hard for freedom. With this being said, criminal
punishment would be justified. Freedom of speech is one of the
biggest things, which as a society take for granted sometimes

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Javier Abad

and would hate to see it taken away. Although, it also should not
be neglected just because we are able to speak out against the
things we disagree with without getting arrested. Concluding, I
believe there is a fine line there that many people have to
balance with their differing opinions regarding controversial
topics.