The statement Citizenship involves rights and responsibilities is true, and in effect shows how the two ideas are married to one another. This has not always been accurate. Almost 200 years into America s existence, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. emerged as a champion for equal rights for minorities. In 1963, he wrote a letter from an Alabama prison cell in response to his recent arrest for civil disobedience. King went on to describe how citizens have the right to assemble and protest.
Citizenship is a complex term that has matured, as America itself has grown older.
For people to comprehend the true meaning of the word, they must recognize that citizenship allows us certain rights while issuing us responsibilities as well. For people to take full advantage of their citizenship, they must take an active role in both civic rights and social responsibilities.