CHOOSE A VOLUME FROM THE POP-UP MENU BELOW: GAZETTE JUMP MENU BACK TO THE MAIN GAZETTE INDEX PAGE (for those visiting from an outside link) Volume 1, Number 1 -- March 2000 Practicing Liberty Volume 1, Number 2 -- April 2000 GOOD CITIZENSHIP 101 Volume 1, Number 3 -- May 2000 Educational Neglect & Abuse Rampant in Texas! Volume 1, Number 4 -- June 2000 Texas Homeschooling Follies Volume 2, Number 1 -- September 2000 PARENT-APPROVED HOME EDUCATION Volume 2, Number 2 -- October 2000 Political Power & Activism: Re-Evaluating the Wizard Volume 2, Number 3 -- November 2000 No Compromise: Homeschooling vs. Government Schooling

April 13, 2000Volume 1, Number 2 GOOD CITIZENSHIP 101 I have listened in on several discussions about what the definition of 'good citizenship' might be. Some of them centered on the ideas of being a good neighbor and doing good deeds within one's community. These may be noble ideas and things a 'good citizen' might be found doing but they do not in themselves constitute 'good citizenship.' Other discussions ended with the agreement that studying Texas history, or even U.S. history, would be considered 'good citizenship.' The study of history is always a valuable thing, and quite helpful in understanding the origins of the concept of citizenship. However, citizenship does have a legal definition: Black's Law Dictionary, Sixth Edition, says this: " 'Citizens' are members of a political community who, in their associated capacity, have established or submitted themselves to the dominion of a government for the promotion of their general welfare and the protection of their individual as well as collective rights." So... 1) Citizens are something: members of a political (governmental) community. 2) Citizens do something: establish the dominion of a government. (Or submit themselves to the dominion of an existing government.) 3) Citizens intend something: promotion of welfare (well-being), and protection of rights. Also according to Black's, citizenship is merely "the status of being a citizen." The term 'good citizenship' is not listed or defined in a nice little package, but from what is there the definition would have to be either "the status of being a good citizen' or 'the status of being a citizen in good standing' or something very similar to these. What we're seeing here is that good citizenship would have to be all about good government. If citizens are members of a bad governmental community, or establish the bad dominion of a bad government, or intend or allow bad promotion of welfare or bad protection of rights... they cannot achieve good citizenship. The citizens are responsible for the condition of the government they have created. GOOD CITIZENSHIP = GOOD GOVERNMENT You decide -- can Texans boast of good citizenship? Can anyone? HomeSchooling TEXAS, est. 1995 ubi libertas habitat, ibi nostra patria est WHERE LIBERTY DWELLS, THERE IS MY COUNTRY