WHAT IS CITIZENSHIP?
WHAT MEMBERSHIP MEANS
Before we go further, let us get a definite idea of what it means
to be a citizen.
IN THE BODY
We have frequently referred to the fact that we are "members" of
various communities. Our bodies have members, such as arms and
hands. The tongue has been called an unruly member. "It is a
little member and boasteth great things." [Footnote: James iii:
5.]
There are two important facts about members of the body. One is
THAT THEY GET THEIR LIFE FROM THE BODY. If the hand is cut off, it
quickly ceases to be a hand because it is severed from the source
of life. If the body is seriously ill, its members are unable to
perform their proper work.
The second important fact is THAT THE BODY IS DEPENDENT UPON ITS
MEMBERS FOR ITS LIFE. If the hand is cut off, or an eye put out,
the body does not necessarily die, but it is seriously
handicapped. If a member is paralyzed or diseased it may be a
positive hindrance to the body, and the disease may spread to
other members. The body may suffer merely because its members are
poorly trained.
IN THE COMMUNITY
That is what it means to be a member of the body; and membership
in a family, or a school, or a club, or a community, is just the
same. We have already seen, and we shall see more fully as we go
on with our study, how completely we are dependent upon our
communities for food, for the protection of life, for education,
and for all else that makes up our life. The community that does
not provide for its members in these things is like a sick body.
On the other hand, as members of a community we are always
contributing something to its life--either to its advantage or
disadvantage. Of course, each of us is only one of a great many
members in a large community, and we may seem to be very
unimportant. But each performs his part, whether it be great or
small, and whether he does it well or poorly.
CITIZENSHIP MEANS MEMBERSHIP
Now we often speak of members of a community as CITIZENS of that
community. CITIZENSHIP means practically the same thing as
membership in the community. As a good community is one that
provides well for its members, so the good citizen is the member
who does well his part in the life of the community. A bad citizen
is the member who hinders the progress of the community when he
might be helping. A citizen has certain RIGHTS and certain DUTIES.
His rights are what the community owes him; his duties are what he
owes the community.
TRAINED AND UNTRAINED CITIZENS
There are many members of communities who are like the diseased or
paralyzed hand, or like the hand that is untrained. A member of an
athletic team who does not "train" will probably be dropped from
the team--he fails to become an athlete. A member of a community,
or a citizen, who does not "train" still remains a member, but an
inefficient one. He is a handicap to his community and interferes
with community team work. The part that a member plays in
community life may be more important than he realizes. Even in
small things, "the falling short of one may mean disaster to
many." Each member of a community, like each member of a body,
must be not only in a healthy condition but also well trained.
WHO ARE CITIZENS
Let us not make the mistake of thinking that we are not yet
citizens because we are young. The Constitution of the United
States says that "ALL PERSONS born or naturalized in the United
States and subject to the jurisdiction thereof" (that is, subject
to its laws) "are citizens of the United States and of the state
wherein they reside." Even persons born in foreign countries and
who have not yet been naturalized [Footnote: "Naturalization" is
the legal process by which persons of foreign birth renounce their
allegiance to the land of their birth and pledge their allegiance
to our government.] enjoy almost all the rights of native-born
Americans, and therefore have much of the responsibility of
citizenship. Until they are naturalized they are still considered
members of the country from which they came, and therefore as
owing certain duties to that country which would be inconsistent
with their duties as members of our nation. Therefore they are
denied certain POLITICAL rights, such as voting and holding
office. [Footnote: In a few states even unnaturalized persons are
allowed to vote after they have declared their intention of
becoming citizens.] These same political rights are denied to
native-born citizens until they have reached maturity. But we must
not confuse this right to vote with citizenship.
Explain how the idea of membership as described in the text
applies to your membership in the family; to membership in a club;
in a church; in a farmers' cooperative organization.
Can you be a member of your class or school without doing it
either good or harm? Explain your answer.
Read Romans xii: 4-8 and James iii: 5-8.
Show how an injury or a benefit to one pupil in the school may be
an injury or a benefit to the entire school. Give illustrations to
prove this.
Show how a failure to save food, to buy savings stamps, or to
perform other services that one is able to perform, weakened our
nation and other nations who were her allies during the war with
Germany.
Make a list of things you have done during the week for the
benefit of your school; for the welfare of your neighborhood,
town, or school district. Do you do as much for your family,
school, or community as they do for you?
Turn to Amendment XIV of the Constitution of the United States
(see Appendix), and read the entire first section containing the
definition of a citizen. Discuss the meaning of the section.
At what age does the native-born citizen acquire the right to
vote? Why is he not allowed to vote before that time?
What native-born citizens of the United States do not have the
right to vote even after they are of voting age?
READINGS
In Long's American Patriotic Prose:
Doane, "The Men to Make a State," pp. 236-238.
Lane, "Makers of the Flag," pp. 314-316.
Steiner, "On Becoming an American Citizen," pp. 317-320.
Wilson, "To Newly-Made Citizens," pp. 322-326.