I feel that Americans need to be reminded of what our founding fathers and early writers said about the requirements for American citizenship.
One of those documents was written by William Tyler Page, Clerk of the House of Representatives in 1918. There was a contest to select the best description of what American citizenship was all about, and his was selected.
"I believe in the United States of America as a government of the people, by the people, for the people; whose just powers are derived from the consent of the governed; a democracy in a republic; a sovereign nation of many sovereign states; a perfect union, one and inseparable; established upon those principles of freedom, equality, justice, and humanity for which American patriots sacrificed their lives and fortunes.
I therefore believe it is my duty to my country to love it; to support its constitution; to obey its laws; to respect the flag; and to defend it against all enemies."
Another entry that I would like to submit is taken from "The Constitution Of The United States" by Raymond Garfield Gettell, Professor of Political Science in the University of California, Berkeley, California. 1924 page 83-84
He writes under the title, "Duties Of Citizens."
"The duties of a citizen have been stated by a recent author as follows: 'To know his country's history and to be proud of it; to understand his own government and to honor it; to know the laws and to obey them; to be respectful of all duly constituted authority; to be loyal in action, word and thought; to look upon the privilege of suffrage as a sacred thing and to use it as becometh a sovereign prerogative; to bear his portions of the common burdens cheerfully; to serve public office at personal sacrifice and to regard it as a public trust; to fight and die if need be in the nation's cause -- these are the first obligations which a free government imposes upon its citizens.' “He goes on to write, "Citizens are liable too military service and to pay taxes."
It seems to me that this should be read in both houses of our congress, a copy to all news agencies as required reading on air and in every schoolroom, in every school in the land. There is an urgency that the liberals, especially, should have to read this and do a four page report on what it means to me as an elected official. The liberals, and some conservatives, have forgotten what this nation is all about. Revisionist historians think that they can just re-write American history and that no one will even notice. We notice!
Ikester