What is a Citizen?

Citizenship can take on many guises and embrace many different philosophies but in today’s world what do we mean by being a good citizen?  Obeying the laws of the land, participating in elections, being a good neighbour, carrying on the economy by being employed, these may be some of the elements of being a good citizen.  Other clichés come to my, such as “giving back to the community”. 

       In a nutshell, how are we being informed?  We can listen to mainstream media via radio or television but just what are we being told about how the world is run?  So if we begin to suspect that we are being lied to we can start going to the Internet and search out conspiracy theories, or look for elements that seem to confirm what we may suspect.  However, there are  avenues that may be more legitimate and more balanced even within the mainstream media.  There are magazine style programs such as “60 Minutes”, “W5” “The Fifth Estate” or “The Nature of Things” that go a little deeper into a story although even here one wonders if there are axes to grind.  One program that I find particularly interesting is “Moyers & Company”.  For one thing he is a well spoken moderator and I find his guests articulate and frequently “non-mainstream”.  After listening to the guest I find myself searching out more information on the internet about their topic, their blogs or websites, or their books.

       Being a citizen means different things to everyone but one of the best things an individually can do for themselves is to be informed but their neighbourhood, province, country and the world at large.  There are so many topics today that ultimate affect the individual that at the every least one ought to understand the topic.  Perhaps we cannot all form an opinion on every topic going, perhaps we cannot engage in changing the outcome of every topic that comes along, but don’t you think it would be a good thing to know what may harm you?  I think it's important to be engaged in topics once in a while even though most of us struggle with the day to day matters that help us put food on the table and shoes on our feet.

      Several very interesting women were on Moyers & Co in the past couple of weeks speaking on similar topics that boils down to the illusion we live in called democracy.  I encourage you to visit this website, it is an eye opener.

http://www.popularresistance.org/issues/