"Earn it."...your citizenship

B

BreacherUp!

New member
Everyone saw Saving Private Ryan and the ending scene where Hanks tells Damon to "Earn this, earn it!". He of course was giving his last order to live a good life as best he could in order to pay back the guys who gave their lives for him.
For years I have thought about what the common American does to earn his/her citizenship. Is it really enough just to be born in this great country? How many immigrants have contributed much more, to include their lives, for this country where many born Americans have only sucked off the fatted calf.
The Spartans dermanded that each person earn their citizenship by serving in the army. But do you have to serve in the military today to earn your citizenship. I do not think so. But there are many other ways that you can earn your rights: How about puiblic service (law, LEO, fire, counselor, you get what I mean). How many of us really have given something back to our country in the form of selfless service. If only for a couple years, even part time. The point is that you should feel obligated to give something back to your country for all the rights, privelages and successes that we take for granted each and every day.
What is the great thing about this. It doesn't matter how old you are, sick you are, whatever. There is something for you to do to give back. There are always openings for selfless service and sacrifice.
JFK had it right with his famous speach, "Ask not what your country can do for you. But, ask what YOU can do for your country."
Thinking back to that bridge in France, ask yourself, "Have I earned it?"
I believe I have, and I'm still giving.
 
I've voted in every local, state, and federal election for which I've been eligible.

I've served 10 years on my homeowner's association (which in Virginia, has powers similar to those accorded elected officials in towns).

I'm a regular correspondent with my elected officials.

I've been a volunteer firefighter/ambulance person.

I pay my taxes without too much whining.

I donate regularly to local police and fire department charities.

The officers who patrol my community know that my door is open to them, day or night, if they need to use the can, get out of the weather, need something to drink, etc.

I've served on appointed advisory/planning boards at the county level.

Unfortunately, my plans to enter the Navy after college came to nothing after I broke my back my sophomore year in college.

Enough to earn my citizenship?

Beats me, but I feel good about it.
 
Mike, you and I have had our differences, but your post is exactly what I'm talking about. The community is the bedrock of our country, and giving back to that is all anyone could ask.
 
The injustice, to me, is embodied in the fact that "legacy" American families who repeatedly sent fathers, brother, uncles and cousins to die for our country' principles are treated the same as those who entered the country illegally last week.
 
our countries priciples are those of individual liberty and freedom

from where those are 'earned' is beyond the scope of this forum. see the Declaration of Independance, "...that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights...".

earing your citizenship is IMO ridiculous
 
The injustice, to me, is embodied in the fact that "legacy" American families who repeatedly sent fathers, brother, uncles and cousins to die for our country' principles are treated the same as those who entered the country illegally last week.
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No, they're not.

If you don't see the differences, that's part of the problem.

Have a nice day.
 
The injustice, to me, is embodied in the fact that "legacy" American families who repeatedly sent fathers, brother, uncles and cousins to die for our country' principles are treated the same as those who entered the country illegally last week.
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What if the new guy got here legally? If your grandfather was a cook in the Navy during WWII, and you're an unemployed auto worker drawing 90% pay, are you a better American and entitled to more apple pie than the brain surgeon who just legally arrived from India?
 
Riding in on dad's or granddad's coat tails doesn't cut it. Freedom is on a mortgage, and the payments are eternal, by each and every one of us in some manner. Our country is a melting pot of different beliefs, religions, cultures, etc., but first & foremost, they should be Americans. I'm in favor of giving an immigrant a chance to do his share, if by no other means than waving our flag and cheering for Old Glory, and meaning it, but I take exception to those that enter our Country, and try to change it to their culture, their beliefs, their language. If they want to keep a piece of their culture, that's fine, but why should I have to learn French or Spanish or Russian or Italian because they refuse to learn ours? I'm tolerant of other beliefs, but I also want this to remain the United States of America, not a state in the United States of Europe. It's just like your friendly neighborhood pub. You drank of liberty; now pay the tab, even if you have to wash dishes to do it.
 
The beautiful thing about the US is that you don't have to "earn it". Every American has an equal playing field, regardless of what they've done for their country or where they're from. Even if you HATE and DESPISE this country, you have the same rights as any other citizen.

The idea of earning your rights is directly linked to the idea of nobility. If you think that the veteran's family should get some sort of special treatment, you're asking to have a codified caste system. Person A is the son of a Korean War vet, so he's entitled to more than Person B who's dad was a conscientious objecter.

Now, I'm talking on a governmental level. At the governmental level, on the level that "citizenship" matters, there MUST be no difference in treatment between any two arbitrary individuals.

On a personal level, of course some people are worth more than others. There're lots of people out there wasting their lives, or even screwing up other people's lives. For instance, I tend to think skinheads/neo-nazis are rather worthless folks... I wouldn't cry a single tear to hear that they were all going to spontaneously combust at 2100 tonight. My disdain and animosity toward them doesn't, however, mean that they should have a single one of their rights infringed in the least.
 
The idea of earning your rights is directly linked to the idea of nobility
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Exactly the opposite. The idea that no matter who you are, where you come from, class, state, whatever, each person can give something back. It can be in the form of military service, or in the form of volunteering at St. Joseph's. Anything to payback the community, and therefor the country as a whole.
A C.O. doesn't have to join the military based on whatever beleif, but he/she should give of themselves in some other way.
Also, it doesn't matter what your grandaddy did. But what YOU and I do. Therefore, citizens can never fall into the "my family has done this" crap. It matters what you do.
No one is talking about infringing rights. Why does it always have to go there?
It's very sad that people take what they have for granted and do not at all feel as though they need to contribute a thing. That to me, is "worthless" as you said.
 
If you dont want to earn it thats great........

but what about the folks after you?

I dont have any kids but I have two nephews... I served because I hoped that I could make the world a better place for them..so that they wouldnt have to see days like these.
 
I see Robert Heinlein quoted frequently on this forum. One of his recurring themes was that full citizenship and the right to vote should be earned, by each individual, through voluntary military or public service. Not a bad idea, IMO.
 
Basically speaking, it's a bad idea to base a real system on a fictional story, whether that story is Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood or James T. Kirk.

I don't live in a fictional world.
 
Jammer, I'm not basing this on anything that I read. Only on what I believe, or wish would be reality. Everybody rains quotes around here,: "Freedom isn't free," etc, etc. But when the rubber meets the road, many Americans let their mouths right checks that their bodies can't (or really won't) cash.
 
Everyone who is able to has a duty to serve this country. People gripe about a "maybe" draft, when we should already have one in place. What is so wrong about giving 1 year, and at the same time becoming a better person?

I plan to give 3 or more, probably Airforce or Army.
 
Basically speaking, it's a bad idea to base a real system on a fictional story, whether that story is Sherlock Holmes, Robin Hood or James T. Kirk.
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Just a little trivia: While the story was fiction, it was based on the Niland brothers from Tonawanda, NY. The "real" Private Ryan, Fritz Niland, became an oral surgeon after the war, and developed several different procedures that were less painful than the way things were previously done, so in effect, he did make things better for his fellow man. (Didn't someone in the show have some line like "He better develop a better lightbulb or something...")
 
The beautiful thing about the US is that you don't have to "earn it".
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DING DING DING! We have a winner!

All I ask is that you help uphold the Constitution. That should be the only thing required of all American citizens.

john, feel the same way you do. Actually, I think something like the NG for all people. The summer you graduate from HS, you go off to boot camp for 6 weeks. Then, its one weekend a month, two weeks a year, Heck, we could make those days national holidays so no one is inconvenienced. Make service from 18-24, or something like that. Heck, maybe just adopt the Swiss system.

But under no circumstances would this force leave US soil.

You can bet I'd be in ROTC right now, if I were medically able. Heck, I was playing around with them even though I couldn't join.
 
In Switzerland you get to keep your issue rifle :D

I believe its Israel that has a 2 year system, where everyone(male and female) has to serve the country for 2 years, either through military or aid means.
 
The injustice, to me, is embodied in the fact that "legacy" American families who repeatedly sent fathers, brother, uncles and cousins to die for our country' principles are treated the same as those who entered the country illegally last week.
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That's quite interesting because me and my brother are Hispanic. My brother is a U.S. Marine and he doesn't get any special treatment because he looks like a Mexican. Some great Americans have even made racist remarks to him when he was in uniform. I doubt these people ever did half of what my brother does for this country but he is treated like he is an illegal immigrant that just invaded the country. That is an absolute disgrace. I think we should practice the principles that this country was founded on and do whatever is within our power to serve our country.
 
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