In 1961, President Kennedy commanded Americans to, "Ask not what your country can do for you; but, what YOU can do for your country". As an American, I owe much to my beloved country. Americans view their responsibility of Patriotism in a variety of ways.  As I approach my 18^th birthday, which will be a national election year, I see many ways in which I can exercise my responsibility as a citizen.  The most crucial is that of taking part in the voting process.  Since I have worked as a part-time employee since the age of fourteen, I have paid into the tax system and see it as a responsibility of Americans. Finally, as a member of this country, respecting those in offices and honoring the constitution is equally important. 

Why Vote?

As a minority citizen, who’s part of the millennium generation, I feel that voting is a MUST!  As soon as I turn 18, I will register to vote.  This is very important to me because I descend from people who just 50 years ago, were oppressed, and voting amongst other rights, was something that they fought for tirelessly and sacrificially. As a youngster, prior to the first election of President Barack Obama, I did not fully understand nor appreciate the power of voting.  Fast-forward almost a decade later; as I watch and listen to crazy thoughts and ideas of many candidates for the 2016 election, I have learned that voting is not only a right, but also a responsibility. It is a task that MUST be done by ALL citizens who meet the minimum age requirement. We have the power to control WHO lives at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and is put in power to do what is best for OUR country. However, it is important to not just vote in national elections, but also local elections which rarely bring people to the polls.

 When Americans do not vote, they are failing our country and should not have the right to complain.  Although we are many times let down by our government officials, because often, they do not “walk -the-talk”, by the time they land into the office for which they are elected.  However, we owe our government our vote which in-turn will help hold them accountable to make our country better.  

Many people, especially poorer minorities, do not consider voting an important act.  They feel “why should I continue to vote if the government does nothing to uphold the “Civil Rights Act”?  As Americans, it is our responsibility to “hire” politicians who honor the constitution and other forms of legislation.  The lack of gun control in our country must be reformed so we don’t have to constantly remind others that “Black Lives Matter”, instead it should be a given!

In recent months, if nothing else, gun control has given citizens’ a reason to RUN to the polls to vote and urge others to get involved in the next election, myself included. These random massacres---Charleston, Connecticut, Louisiana and the many others--- must be halted with tighter gun control laws. Too many people are abusing their constitutionals right to bear arms and that is a behavior that must be changed. We must make strict changes to the basic right that harms innocent fellow Americans. Our founding fathers never intended for the Second Amendment to lead to the numerous mass shootings by deranged citizens. when they agreed to Americans having the right to “bear arms”.   President Obama is consistently fighting this without bipartisanship support.  The next elected president must be willing to carry the torch, for what the President has started!  WE-MUST-VOTE in order to reduce the number of mass shootings! If not, everyone’s family is equally at risk.

Why Should the Government Put Their Hands in My Dough?

Paying taxes or “giving money to the Uncle Sam” is my responsibility as an American. By no means do I like my $7.25/hr being cut to $6.50, but I know it is my duty is to pay taxes to help make my community better, and to protect my nation.  Indeed, many elected officials abuse the government’s money, “donated” by the people.  However, this should never be seen as a reason for NOT paying one’s fair share of taxes.  For example, if you ever think of what we would NOT have if taxes were unpaid, it would make most people cringe.  National Security is the first thing that comes to my mind! 

Support our Government!

Just as we support our Troops, as citizens, we must support our government leaders, to include the President. If our national and/or local elected officials feel that it is the best interest of our country to do something (for example, the removal of the Confederate flag), we must support him or her. We owe our government officials basic respect and must trust them to lead our country in the best direction.  As an American, we should unite, regardless of party, and make a conscious effort to not revert to social media to comment on EVERYTHING our officials do. We hired them, so we should respect them to fight for us!  This is the main reason for voting, right? So much time is spent tearing down members on both sides of the aisle, that often times not much gets done for the American people! 

All in all, we owe our government a lot more than we think.  You never hear American’s saying, “What are my responsibilities to the government”? Instead, you often hear, “What the government has not done for me!”  America in 2015, let’s act on the commandment given to us by President Kennedy, it is still very applicable!