You have the responsibility to be a faithful citizen of the United States of America and to expect the same of every other citizen or immigrant to this great land. You have the responsibility to respect the flag and everything she stands for, and to pledge your allegiance to your country.

Accepting citizenship means that you are, first and foremost, an American, not a hyphenated American or an native of another country who is here solely for economic advantage. While you do not need to agree with every law that is passed, you do have the commitment to obey the law and work through peaceful means to achieve change. Further, for as long as you are living in this vast country that continues to guarantee more freedom to its citizens than any other, you have the obligation to be grateful for the blessing of living in such a land. In America you have the freedom to leave at any time, should you not be satisfied. No permission is necessary.

You have the responsibility to speak up when the criminal or legislative actions of any persons threaten the well-being of your family or your nation. It is not someone else's duty to blow the whistle; it is yours. "They" shouldn't do something about the problems. You're "they." It takes courage and time to stand up against foul and destructive forces, but if you do not do it, who will?

You have the responsibility to consider the welfare of ALL the citizens of the United States of America, even if it demands some personal sacrifice. The nation cannot live on the promulgation of narrow self-interest, be it of the individual, the community, or the state. As long as you judge every law or solution to a problem solely by how it affects you or your surroundings, rather than the country as a whole, there will be no real answers, nor can America remain significant.

You have the responsibility to support yourself and your personal immediate and extended family. Being self-sustaining, providing for your own family, and serving your neighbor to the extent possible are requisite for a healthy economy and society. No society can flourish when a sizable amount of its citizens expect to do nothing while accepting a government dole. Reliance on government entities inevitably destroys individual self-respect and the economic happiness of both citizen and state. If you take care of yourself and family, and the community picks up the laziness, this nation will have one-third more funds for worthwhile projects and both you and this nation, will become strong and resilient.

You have the responsibility to make a change in the lives of your family, your community, and your nation. As a fine citizen you are here to make a contribution to this country. America has always taken place in the forefront in medical advances, scientific research, humanitarianism, and other areas. You have the responsibility to endure this tradition through hard work and good use of your time. You have the responsibility to avoid excuses of race, economic standing, and victimization of any kind because, no matter which excuse you choose, someone has successfully overcome it.

You own the responsibility to be educated and informed. A public education is not ample. Finding truth is a challenging lifetime job that you must pursue diligently. You have the responsibilty to search the truth from many sources. You must question what you read in any publication or listen to in any media report and be willing to consider all parts of any question. You must realize that such a mission for truth will take a tremendous effort to seek it out. The truth is not revealed unless actively sought after.

You have the responsibility to use wisdom in selecting those who will top you. You must learn to search for men of good character, not those with only charisma or a handsome face. You must become a expert of character rather than a pawn of a salient slogan. You must remember that character is never oldfashioned. A man or woman with no self-control should never be trusted with the welfare of our major country. You must never bear leaders who are untruthful, deceitful, or seek to exercise power rather than give service.

You have the responsibility to merit and defend human life. Quality of life considerations, age, or handicaps don't in any way lessen the value of life itself. Any life taken by mankind afore its time cheapens the life of every other American. You also have the responsibility to educate those who would reduce human life by considering it, at best, equal to or even lower than animal life.

You have the responsibility to honor your freedom of worship and to protect that right for every citizen in this country. We, your Founding Fathers valued religion highly and depended entirely upon God for the motivation and help needed to form this union. We demand no less of you.