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Post by angelikabuddhadasa on Oct 10, 2016 21:09:43 GMT
Citizen-Citizenship
Angelika A. Buddhadasa
October 10, 2016
The Tech Heads (Comp Class)
angelikabuddhadasa_Citizenship.RTF (2.95 KB) A citizen is someone who is a part of something, and in this case, of a country. That person is eligible to have certain privilages and protection from the government because he/she belongs to the country or inhabits it. However, being a citizen is not only a legal status, but it means that he/she must be educated of what is happening around them, must take on certain political responsibilities, preserve the culture and to make a beneficial difference in his/her country. Also, by having a citizenship it means that we have certain duties and responsibilities as a member of a country, and must support our country. Being a citizen allows the people to have their rights and are entitled for certain duties, which includes the right to vote, freedom of speech to express ourselves, and to pursue happiness. Also some duties include, being of service to the society, respecting and following the laws and authorities, and paying the taxes. But all the privilages might vary depending on the country. Even though there are lots of citizens in a country, there are refugees and immigrants as well, which they also have responsibilities. For instance, they should comply with the law, and be educated about the country and its heritage. In addition, they have the rights for education and work, and should be treated equal to the citizens. In conclusion, a citizen has the right to be part of the community,to make decisions that will have a positive effect in the community and is able to to have a freedom however he/she wants. However, the citizen must volunteer to help the society and to do the best of his/her ability, and we ourselves, though as young as we are should not see a positive difference as useless, as quoted “Many students see the idea of making a positive difference in the world as useless and naïve . […] The need for caring citizens who feel empowered to act is greater than ever before.” (Lickona, 1992, p. 304). Therefore, making a positive difference in our society is an important aspect as a citizen and we should be responsible if we want to do so.
REFERENCES
Lickona, T. (1992). Educating for character: How our schools can teach respect and responsibility. New York, NY: Bantam Books.
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Post by georgianath on Oct 11, 2016 16:47:49 GMT
Georgia Nath
Hello!
Interesting paragraph. I just have one question, what did you mean by responsible in your last sentence?
Georgia Nath
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Post by Ms.Tamme on Oct 11, 2016 16:54:44 GMT
Ms.Tamme Response
Angelika,
Great paper with sound thoughts. You make the statement that refugees and immigrants should have the same rights as a citizen, but only hold them responsible to follow the law and to learn about the country to which they have immigrated. Immigrants plan to stay and become citizens, so I agree they should have the full rights of citizens and not be discriminated against, as they plan to and will contribute to society. Since refugees are not contributing to the society, they are passing through to another destination, should they really have ALL the rights of a citizen. What duty, besides obeying the law should they have? Does the government need to grant them the right to vote, have costly medical care, free education for their children? These are people with no plans to contribute to the society (pay no taxes), so should they get the full rights of citizens or should they get just basic human rights of access to food, water, and shelter?
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Post by angelikabuddhadasa on Oct 11, 2016 18:11:42 GMT
Reply to Ms. Tamme Response
Thank you Ms. Tamme. I agree with your view that refugees are just passing through the country to go to another destination, and are not entitled to all the privileges and rights of a citizen just like the immigrants. However, since they inhabit in a country for a certain amount of time, they should be able to follow the laws, respect the country which accepted them, to not cause violence and be given free education for their children in public schools just like other citizens. In addition, the government should try and help the refugees as much as they can, and I believe that the refugees must be given the basic necessities for living, especially to the refugees who came from war countries and do not have anything. Nevertheless, if the basic needs that the government gives to the refugees are not enough, they should be able to sustain themselves. However, I believe that the refugees do not have to be given a citizenship and do not need to involve themselves in civic and political activities such as paying taxes and having the right to vote since they are not planning on staying in the country and are not aware of the country's needs and background.
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Post by angelikabuddhadasa on Oct 11, 2016 18:21:51 GMT
Reply to Georgia Nath Response
Hello! Thank you. By saying that we, the citizens are responsible in making a positive difference, I meant that we should be able to change ourselves positively if we want our country and society around us to change likewise.
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Post by charleenkaruri on Oct 12, 2016 17:08:45 GMT
Charleen Karuri Response
Charleen Karuri,
That was a really good thing you wrote Angelika. I just wanted to ask you whether you think people (immigrants and refugees) are treated unfairly despite the fact that there should be 'equality' and if so do you have examples to support it?
Charleen Karuri
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Post by angelikabuddhadasa on Oct 13, 2016 18:20:06 GMT
Reply to Charleen Karuri Response
Thank you Charleen. Well, there are times in which refugees and immigrants are not treated fairly due to their national background, their color and their different customs. Many citizens, especially in the Western countries, have xenophobia and they find the people dangerous and discriminate them. For instance, many people disdain the refugees and say many terrible things to them, and we have seen this occurrence in Greece,where many refugees have entered the country. Also, many refugee children are not allowed to go to school, as it once occurred at Chios,because parents think that the refugee children might influence their own children in negative ways. In addition, here in Greece, many immigrants who have been living here for many years and have all the requirements needed do not get the citizenship which is unfair.
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