The Rights, Responsibilities and Privileges of A United States Citizen

We, as United States citizens, have many responsibilities, privileges, and rights. With rights and privileges come responsibilities. Freedom is one of our most important privileges, but in order to have freedom, we must accept the responsibilities of being United States citizens. We also have privileges such as freedom and the right to hold any government job or public office. Citizens have many rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press. We also have the very important right to vote. It is very important for United States citizens to exercise and practice the responsibilities, privileges, and rights that come along with being a citizen.

United States citizens have many responsibilities. Among those responsibilities are: to be fully responsible for our own actions and for the consequences of those actions; to respect the rights and beliefs of others; to give sympathy, understanding, and help to others; to do our best to meet our own and our families’ needs; to respect and obey the laws; to respect the property of others, both private and public. We also must share with others our appreciation of the benefits and obligations of freedom, participate constructively in the nation’s political life (vote), help freedom survive by assuming personal responsibility for its defense, and respect the rights and to meet the responsibilities on which our liberty rests and our democracy depends. Serving on a jury and respecting the different opinions, cultures, ethnic groups, and religions found in the United States are also responsibilities for United States citizens.

United States citizens have many privileges. Freedom is the most valuable privilege. Freedom is very important to many citizens in the United States of America. Citizens also have the privilege of holding any public office or the right to hold government jobs. U.S. citizens can also live outside of the United States as long as they like without losing their right to live in this country, unlike some other countries. Another privilege is passing citizenship on to your children. If you are a citizen and you have children, your children will be citizens too.

As United States citizens, we have many rights. In the Bill of Rights, the I Amendment allows freedom of speech, religion, and press, and the right to peacefully assemble and also the right to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

The II Amendment allows citizens the right to bear arms. The III Amendment stops all soldiers from entering a house without the permission of its owner. The IV Amendment states that a person’s home cannot be searched or seized without a warrant with probable cause. There are twenty-seven amendments in all, but only the first ten are considered the Bill of Rights. Another very important right is the right to vote (XV Amendment). This amendment states the following: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” XIX Amendment granted all American women the right to vote in 1920. In 1971 Amendment XXVI gave citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, the right to vote.

Although many responsibilities come with being a United States citizen, all the benefits and rights make it worthwhile. Voting is the most important responsibility for United States citizens. Freedom is the most valuable privilege for citizens. To me, the most important right is freedom of speech. Everyone should be able to speak their mind, and in the United States, they can. In order for us to keep freedom in our country, we must perform our responsibilities. Freedom and responsibility are mutual and inseparable; we can ensure enjoyment of the one only by exercising the other. Freedom for all of us depends on responsibility by each of us. With Rights come Responsibilities–As United States citizens, we must accept responsibility with the gift of security of our rights. Personally, I am very pleased to be a United States citizen and live in a free society.