Abraham Lincoln once said, “I am not bound to win, but I am bound to be true. I am not bound to succeed, but I am bound to live by the light that I have. I must stand with anybody that stands right, and stand with him while he is right, and part with him when he goes wrong.” This quote emphasized the ethical standpoint of individual citizens over a hundred years ago. What is an ethical democratic citizen? First, being an ethical democratic citizen means that the individual is ethical. He or she focuses his decisions based on moral principles and the idea of right and wrong. There is more than one type of ethics. For example, there are Christian ethics (based from the Holy Bible), and humanist ethics (self-fulfillment without a supernatural power). Secondly, the question also deals with being democratic, wanting the best for the society as a whole. Lastly, the citizen aspect means that the individual is born or is legally a citizen and is hopefully loyal to the country. Overall, as an ethical democratic citizen you should be concerned with not only the betterment for yourself, but for your country and for fellow citizens. Today it has become common for individuals to take for granted the power, responsibility, and right to be involved and have a voice in the political issues that are taking place in our country. Before we as citizens make decisions, we need to consider the consequences of our decisions. We as the citizens need to make moral decisions based on belief systems that work for the betterment of the people.
The definition for ethical deals with the individual's sense of right and wrong. Two common beliefs are relativism and absolutism. Relativism is the idea that everyone is entitled to their own beliefs. There is more than one truth according to relativism. Everyone is right in their own beliefs. Absolutism is the idea that there is only one truth. Everyone, no matter their location or culture, has the same truth; whether they believe it or not it's still truth. Also, there are at least two kinds of ethics, one is the Christian ethics, which bases ethics on the Bible. Then there are humanist ethics where the individual bases his viewpoints from the idea of self-fulfillment and the nature and ideals of man. Personally, in order for the country to follow basic principles, the citizens need to believe in absolutism. If they believed in relativism then there would be no right or wrong answer. They also need to focus on Christian ethics because individuals would make decisions for the good of other people and for their neighbors, not just selfish selves. This country is falling because we have lost the Christian ethics that our country was based on. The ethics united us as a country and as loving, generous citizens. Furthermore, being ethical and having ethics/morals can be seen in common life, from disciplining a child, to voting for the next leader of a country. When determining something as big as who's going to run the country in which you live, you don't focus on their physical appearance but on how they plan to resolve problems in the country. Not only does being ethical deal with decisions but it also deals with passing those morals, beliefs, and traditions down to your children. Do we have a responsibility to the next generation to try to prevent a sexually immoral society? Should we stand up against Walmart for selling twelve year olds, skin-tight, revealing clothing? It is our responsibility as ethical individuals to teach and train the future generation, our children, what's right , so they may one day lead the country.
Being democratic as a citizen deals with social equality. The individual puts the country and what's good for the people, before his or her individual wants and needs. Democratic citizens realized that their right to speak became an obligation to their country. Democratic is also the idea that everyone has the right to express and believe what they want. Furthermore, the individual should not just sit down and be lazy. They should be actively engaged in the society and making decisions based on their ideas of the betterment of the country and the people within it. Even if they can't change the results as least they can get out their frustration without violence, whether that be through screaming out the window, or by writing it down in some creative manner.
A citizen is someone born in the country or who has immigrated here through the legal process. They also have the right to political participation. As a good, responsible citizen they should be actively engaged with the issues that the country faces. For example, the current war in Iraq, taxes and other money concerns, as well as abortion, stem-cell research, and gay rights. As a citizen it's also our responsibility to decide how much power the government has. For example, security vs. civil liberties, should we give up some of our “rights” and allow the government to listen in on phone conversations to try to prevent terrorist attacks? Where do we draw the line between the government's power and the individual's rights? As citizens it's our responsibility to keep that balance. United States were not the only country to practice democracy, Rome and Athens Greece also had democracy for a time period. Without that balance, between people and the government, the individuals would cause revolts and our country as a whole would not be united or strong. In addition, citizens are generally patriotic, supporting and fighting for our country's freedoms.
Furthermore, an ethical democratic citizen also has the idea of hope. Hope for the future and hope that the citizens will not lose their rights. Hope that allows a person, even in darkness and disappointment, to not give up and to rely of their knowledge of the past, present, and future to continue to make decisions. In addition, according to Theodore Roosevelt “The first requisite of a good citizen in this republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his own weight.” Citizens have to stand up for what's right and fair even if they are in the minority. For example, black slaves and women took a stand for equality and now a hundred years later they have equal rights.
In conclusion, being an ethical democratic citizen means that you make moral decisions for the good of the society of which you are a part. Citizens have the responsibility to be observant and optimistic about the future of their country. They also need to be aware that the decisions of today affect the consequences of tomorrow for not just them but for the country and perhaps even the world. We have gotten away from absolutism, God, and the Christian ethics, which is what our country was founded on. These ideas and principles enable us to unite and make the country great. We need to look up and focus on our goals and morals! We as citizens need to decide what we believe and why, before we can try to help and preserve our country.
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