Qualities of a Good Citizen: Deeper Understanding

A good citizen is one who properly fulfills his or her role as a citizen. There are many opinions as to what constitutes a good citizen. Theodore Roosevelt said, "The first requisite of a good citizen in this Republic of ours is that he shall be able and willing to pull his weight." Education is sometimes viewed as a prerequisite to good citizenship, in that it helps citizens make good decisions and deal with demagogues who would delude them. Human beings are used to living under laws and patterns that are dictated to us by society, but following those patterns does not make us good citizens.

To be a good citizen first you have to be a good person. By that I mean that you have to be full of values, principles, ethics, etc. When joining all these aspects together you will find out that there is nothing else to be needed. One important aspect for being a good citizen is to help people.

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All around us, we can see there are always people in need for our help. Our job as good citizens is to help those kinds of people. When talking about the people that need our help, I am not only talking about the poor ones, but also the pregnant woman who cannot carry a heavy package or the old man that cannot cross the street. Remember that little actions make the difference. There are some traits of citizenship that should be always observed, the first trait of citizenship is to do your share.

This simply involves taken part of things that could make the community better. To do your share you must be a volunteer – help your school and community be better, cleaner and safer, protect the environment by conserving resources, reducing pollution and of course cleaning up after yourself, participate in making things better by voicing your opinion, voting, serving on committees, reporting wrong doings and paying taxes. The second trait of citizenship is respecting authority and law.

In order to observe that trait you must play by the rules- don’t do good cop bad cop, always obey parents, teachers, coaches and others who have been given authority, observe just laws, honor and respect principles of democracy and most importantly always respect your country and its national symbols. These traits are easy to follow, lots of people have become famous and made a good name of themselves in a community by observing the traits of citizenship and following by them. Two examples of good citizens are Chief Anthony Enahoro and Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli. Chief Anthony Enahoro played a vital role in bringing political independence to Nigeria. As one of the country’s earliest prodemocracy activists, he moved the first motion for self-rule from Britain in 1953. Seven years later, his dream of Nigerian Independence became a reality.

A politician, thinker, mentor, Enahoro was also Nigeria’s youngest editor ever. He gained this distinction in 1944 by becoming the Southern Nigerian Defender’s editor at the age of 21. He later promoted the unity of his country during its 1967- 1970 civil war. Influential businesswoman Ndidi Okonkwo Nwuneli is the founder of LEAP Africa, a leadership, management and ethics training organization dedicated to inspiring and empowering a new generation of African leaders. The nonprofit provides coaching services, along with awards and grants for youth, social entrepreneurs and business owners. Recognized as a Global Leader of Tomorrow, Nwuneli is also the founder of NIA, a nonprofit organization committed to helping young women in Southeastern Nigeria achieve their full potential.

These two leaders worked their way to the top and achieved their goal whilst being a good citizen and helping Nigeria become a better place. So be a good citizen and follow the traits, work your way to the top and achieve greatness and remember…….. ‘’There are three periods in the life of a people or in the life of a country … yesterday, today and tomorrow… Tomorrow belongs to visionaries and idealists, without whom you cannot build a new society.’’- Chief Anthony Enahoro (1923-2010). -by Memma Uponi, 7 Sapphire