Citizenship includes civic virtues and duties that prescribe how we ought to behave as part of a community. The good citizen knows the laws and obeys them, yes, but that’s not all. He/she volunteers and stays informed on the issues of the day, the better to execute her duties and privileges as a member of a self-governing democratic society. They do more than their “fair” share to make society work, now and for future generations. Such a commitment to the public sphere can have many expressions, such as conserving resources, recycling, using public transportation and cleaning up litter. The good citizen gives more than she takes.
People are not things, and everyone has a right to be treated with dignity. We certainly have no ethical duty to hold all people in high esteem, but we should treat everyone with respect, regardless of who they are and what they have done.
Ethical people show responsibility by being accountable, pursuing excellence and exercising self-restraint. They exhibit the ability to respond to expectations. An accountable person is not a victim, and, doesn’t shift blame or claim credit for the work of others. He recognises the common complicity in the triumph of evil when nothing is done to stop it. He leads by example …”If you existed alone in the universe, there would be no need for ethics and your heart could be a cold, hard stone. Caring is the heart of ethics, and ethical decision-making. It is scarcely possible to be truly ethical and yet unconcerned with the welfare of others. That is because ethics is ultimately about good relations with other people. People who consider themselves ethical and yet lack a caring attitude toward individuals tend to treat others as instruments of their will. They rarely feel an obligation to be honest, loyal, fair or respectful except insofar as it is prudent for them to do so, a disposition which itself hints at duplicity and a lack of integrity.
God continues to bless and protect this nation which we call home, and grants us a good government and leaders that make it their concern to work for lasting values; values that are integral to the preservation and advancement of society “This is our country, this is our flag, this is our future, this is our life, this is our family, these are our friends, We are Indians!
