A responsible citizen, therefore, is entitled to all of the rights given to him under the law. An irresponsible citizen, however, who thwarts our laws may, in turn, experience a loss of some or even most of his freedoms. Children are quick to learn by example that it is easier to shift blame than to accept it, and that rights are, on the surface, more enjoyable than responsibilities. Parents must also understand that. While it may be easy to emphasize rights to their children, parents and teachers must also inculcate a sense of responsibility and accountability for personal actions in the young.
Responsibility includes using discretion and self-restraint in the conduct of one's rights.
For example, while the First Amendment protects the right of citizens to express themselves, it does not also sanction language which endangers public safety. Responsibility also means accepting blame and even punishment for one's unwise or illegal actions. It means taking charge of one's own life and contributing to one's community, one's nation, and one's family in a productive and beneficial way. Children must be taught that there is no free ride, and no substitute for the satisfaction and rewards that they will realize from setting high goals and working hard to accomplish them. The concept of protected individual rights helped to make the United States unique among all of the world's nations.