What is a citizen?
A citizen is a member of a family living in a nation or community, by birth or naturalization. He or she enjoys the right of citizenship, that is, civil and political rights. Citizens have rights and duties to each other and to their homeland. They must respect the law and participate in the political, economic, social, and security life of their country. All citizens are equal before the law and have the same privileges. They have the right to liberty, life, education, health, personal integrity, and security. In general, the reciprocal duties of citizens are legal and moral in nature. Violating the rights of others and established moral principles can weaken the concept of citizenship. A citizen who does not respect the law and transgresses established moral principles commits a serious offense for which he or she will be subject to criminal penalties. All those living in a community must behave like good citizens; that is, in exercising their civil, political and religious rights to make social life harmonious. Living as citizens means having moral behavior, participating in social and community activities, respecting established authorities, paying taxes stipulated by law, and participating in elections. Furthermore, disobedience to these natural principles could lead to insecurity and many other social problems. To experience civic life daily, citizens must be polite, respectful, honest, etc. They must also claim their rights in accordance with the law and support others in difficulty.
However, in a community, there are always good and bad citizens. Good citizens are those who respect the law, fulfill their civic duties, and commit no offenses. They respect others and the established moral principles that lead them to social peace. They engage in social and community activities, individually or collectively, to improve the living conditions of their compatriots. Good citizens are also those who think about others and the consequences of their actions, good or bad. They avoid participating in thefts of all kinds and acts of kidnapping, terrorism, and vandalism. A good citizen is someone who defends and protects their community and homeland against terrorist acts of all kinds. They avoid committing acts of violence against their community and homeland.
The protection of a community depends first on its citizens and then on the state. They must: a) protect the environment by avoiding cutting down wood without authorization from established authorities; b) set fire to fields or other people’s homes; c) throw garbage in the streets to dirty the roads. Indeed, bad citizens are those who do the opposite, because they do not have a good moral conscience. They steal, loot, rape, fight in the streets, commit acts of kidnapping and terrorism, etc. Therefore, many people wonder: why is there so much violence in our community? Why are there so many crimes in our society?
Serge Desrameaux, Lawyer, MS/AJS-LEO