Written in the Declaration of Independence are some of the rights and responsibilities of every man and woman in the United States, among these is “That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to affect their Safety and Happiness.” Thus. to be a good citizen does not mean to unquestioningly follow any and every law, but to challenge laws which are unjust and detrimental toward society.

This, though, does not mean that one should violate laws which are already in place for our safety. If, for example, a law were to be enacted which limited the use of free speech, then that law should be met with resistance. In this case, to break the law would mean to be a good citizen, and to submit to the law would mean to, whether intentionally or not, approve of corrupt governmental policies. The United States, afterall, was founded to combat corruption and tyrannical rule. At the time of its writing, the Declaration of Independence primarily aimed to define the United States as an individual nation, and the United States Constitution further emphasized a democracy for and by “We the People.”

In this modern day and age, it is important for us not to forget the fundamental beliefs and traditional values of the United States. As the population of the nation rises and modern technology continually shapes society, the United States is destined to become the epicenter of a multitude of social conflicts. The future of the United States will soon rest in the hands of the youth, and it is going to be our responsibility to uphold the United States Constitution, defend the nation from corruption and correct the many mistakes those before us made. Soon enough, us high school students will be voting, choosing whether to be Republican, Democratic or Independent, and paying taxes to the government. It is going to up to the youth to decide whether laws are unjust or not, and whether it is appropriate to use civil disobedience when we deem that it is necessary for peaceful protest.

The fate of the United States lies within its youth. It is crucial for us high school students and soon-to-be functioning members of society to know what the definition of a good citizen truly is, and how to effectively protest against unjust laws. In the United States, where democracy states that the government derives its power from the people, we are going to be the ones to have the power to face and solve any issues we may face in the foreseeable future.