The Icelandic Canadian - 01.06.1967, Blaðsíða 42

40
THE ICELANDIC CANADIAN
Summer 1967
A good citizen does not live a life
apart but rather joins in his com-
munity’s activities, and cultivates a
friendship with neighbors, at all times
respecting their rights, and displaying
courtesy, kindness and helpfulness in
as far as his neighbors are willing to
accept and return them.
A good citizen fulfils his obliga-
tions towards local governments. He is
faithful in exercising his right to vote
as he pleases; is willing to share in
the work of local government and if
he is a member of such a civic body
he never forces his will upon other
members, never allows other members
to force their personal ideas upon him-
self, never allows sentiment nor person-
al prejudices to influence his decisions,
never makes decisions that are not the
result of carefully considered facts and
fully respects the final decisions of the
majority of the governing body. The
good citizen attacks each problem
with an open mind and is willing to
change his attitude in spite of his per-
sonal opinions when actual facts re-
veal conditions are contrary to his
original thinking. He, at all times,
makes certain that information he
presents during a discussion is accurate
and reliable. He acquaints himself
fully with his rights and duties while
in office and in turn adheres to them
rigidly.
A good citizen sees to it that his place
of business or his home is a credit to
the community in which he lives. He
does not tolerate uncleanliness nor
truly immoral activities in any shape
or form. He takes pride in the ac-
complishments of others and strives
to be a character worthy of their
respect. He provides well for his fam-
ily in the areas of daily necessities,
culture, education and medical at-
tention. Above all he works earnestly
so that no one shall suffer because of
his lack of ambition and effort. He
never flaunts his riches in the face of
the less fortunate and does not measure
his respect for others by their value
in dollars and cents.
Secondly a good citizen is an active
and willing member of his nation. He
displays a sincere non-fanatic patriot-
ism tempered with the knowledge that
his own nation can at times be fallible.
He cultivates in himself a deep respect
for his country; a respect he can under-
stand others might have for their
country. He accepts the cultures and
recognizes the skills of ethnic groups
making up his nation and attempts to
weave them into .the pattern of nation-
hood, thus making its overall culture
richer and more attractive.
A good citizen acquaints himself
fully with the public services his na-
tional government provides; an under-
standing of advantages derived from
them and cultivates a willingness to
pay his rightful share in maintaining
them.
A good citizen always adheres to the
laws of his country, realizing that those
laws are the bulwark that preserves
the freedom of the individual and
thus of his nation. He should feel that
the breaking of a law, however in-
nocent it appears to him, is an act of
aggression against his nation and a
lack of trust in his fellowmen.
A good citizen has so much con-
fidence in the national institutions of
his country and the members of those
institutions that he will always be will-
ing to accept changes brought about
by the will of the majority and willing-
ly will carry out their requests.
Lastly, but quickly becoming the
most significant, a good dtizen con-
siders himself a member of the world
community. The idea that ones duties