Two envelopes arrived in my mailbox one day last week, each with a return address from local county government. The first came from the tax office, notifying me that I’d underpaid my car registration renewal by $7.75. As I opened the second envelope, from the sheriff’s office, I felt pretty sure I wouldn’t be going to jail for the error in my vehicle tag check amount.
Nope, that’s not what the sheriff had in mind. He wants me to show up for jury duty.
That got me to musing about civic duties. I found a decent definition online: “Civic duties are the mandatory, legal obligations of a citizen toward their community and country, such as paying taxes, obeying laws, and serving on a jury. These required actions, distinguished from voluntary civic responsibilities, ensure the functioning of a democratic society.”
The list of voluntary civic responsibilities includes voting, keeping informed about current events and political issues, community involvement (volunteering, helping neighbors, and engaging in community service), and advocacy (working to solve problems that affect the community). Together, the lists of citizen duties and responsibilities sum it up pretty well.
So, how do I measure up? Looking at the second list, civic responsibilities, I think I’ve done okay, but not great. And, I’m getting better at it.
Voting. I’ve voted in most elections since I reached the age of eligibility, but—at least in my early years—I didn’t always take the time to do “due diligence” in researching candidates and ballot initiatives. I may have relied too heavily on listening to ads and the opinions of other people. That’s changed over the past several years. Now, I pay more attention to candidates and issues and, before voting, I try to think through various positions and potential outcomes.
Keeping up with current events and political issues. I’ve never been a huge fan of politics, and have mostly avoided them, choosing instead to focus on family and work. Over the years, I’ve generally tried to at least listen to the evening news summary in order to somewhat keep up with current events. During the last decade or so, however, I’ve paid much more attention, and have, consequently, become stressed and worried. Recently, this has caused me to shift my focus to issues I can help solve, which slightly eases the angst of being unable to have any effect on other ills.
Community service. My efforts in this arena have also improved since young adulthood. Then, I was quite self-centered, fixated first on dreams of “doing great things someday” and, when that didn’t work out, on just getting by. Over time, though, I became involved in charitable activities at church and with community nonprofits, and I felt the satisfaction of being able to serve others. Those experiences taught me the value of community.
Advocacy. This is where I have failed miserably. I have strong feelings about ethics and doing the right thing, but too often I have remained silent instead of speaking out. My excuses? No valid ones. I used to be more of an introvert but, because of my work, I eventually learned stage presence. There’s no reason not to speak up in the face of injustice, but it’s easier to keep quiet. Go along to get along, as the saying goes. Why open myself up to criticism and ridicule? It’s hard to do that, but not impossible. I guess I just can’t see how standing up would really make any difference at all in today’s world, where it seems as if everyone just wants to pick a fight. I probably need to work on my attitude.
The first list, civic duties, is easier to analyze. People either do these things, or face consequences.
I try to be a law-abiding citizen, although I got a couple of speeding tickets when I was younger. And I do pay my taxes, so I suppose I’ll need to stop by the county office to correct my $7.75 vehicle registration goof.
And jury duty? I’m looking forward to it. I got called up only once before, almost thirty years ago, but the case got dismissed, so I never actually experienced it. I suspect it may provide fodder for an upcoming blog post.
Photo by S. G. Benson
#civicduty #CivicResponsibility #civicengagement
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