The Sidney herald., 1961-05-03

money collected from the various
taxes imposed upon Americans is
terribly important to our govern
ment. The huge rockets which are
being sent into space cost billions
upon billions of dollars, to say
nothing of the missiles and bombs
being made for u protection.
Each time, therefore, that one of
us forgets to enter an item of in
come on our tax returns, every
thing and everyone, including our
selves, is cheated; so very much
in fact, that it could mean the diff
ference between life and death if
we were ever attacked by an
enemy.
Now that l have mentioned a
few of the responsibilities of cit
lzenShip, let us take a look at a
brighter, more encouraging side,
namely the rewards bestowed on
us by this membership. Citizen
ship could be compared to a pass
port, a passport to democracy and
freedom of religion, speech and
enterprise. Many of these, few
countries have, America the only
country having adj of them. 1t is
also the joining of hands of every
one, black and white, young and
old. important and unimportant
for the common aim of protecting
this glorious right.
Citizenship is a gift which gives
its holder a feeling of belonging,
of being part of a great and grow
ing nation.
Although many people inherit
this gift at birth, there are many
others who have to work many
years to attain it, in other coun-
tries as well as America. To be-
come a citizen may become an in
creasingly hard and sometimes
boring procedure for many, but
the satisfaction and rewards of
being a citizen, shine like a pot of
gold at the end of the long dreary
path crowded and haunted by
tests and r~ecitations. These make
up double for the hard work and
embarrassment gone through by
these people.
Citizenship to me is one of the
greatest heritages left us by our
forefathers. 1t is something of
which we can be proud, and ex-
pand upon, and which in turn
gives us so much pleasure. The
men and woman here before us
struggled through hardships, diff
) ficult for us to perceive, in fight
ing for independence and citizen
ship. The man and women here
today III struggling to keep this
citizenship for which so many
many sons have given their lives
And we, the men and woman O
tomorrow, will have still a great.
er task laid before us, as enemy
nations become stronger and more
cunning. to preserve for us anc
our p~osterity - our citizenship. /
is such a precious gift that we can.
not afford to take the many risk.
which we are taking with it. S,
many great and shining civiliza
tons have been crushed by som
practically insignificant, backwar
country in the past, that it coul
easily happen again, to us, if his
tory repeats itself as it has done i
the past.
We Americans of today, and tn
Americans of the future. mu:
hold fast to our heritage. We mu.
continue to treat it as a motht
would her child, protecting it wit
our lives. Never must we let oil
riches go to heads, forgettir
the Important jobs each of us h;
to do, to keep our citizenshi
secure.
These are by no means all til
citizenary luxuries which we Ell
joy. nor the responsibilities wit
which we must cope. Each da
there are hundreds of new liv'
for which we must keep either
ship safe. In view of all this, "
have so many things to be thanl
full for and to spur us on to wol
even harder.
/ only hope that my generate
can do as much for our futu
generations as our ancestors ha'
done for US. Citizenship alwa
has been and will continue to
the most outstanding factor in t
lives Of Americans.