EmilyArkin

LBST2215
LearningJournal#1
September2,2015
WhenIthinkofthewordcitizenship,twoimagescometomind.Oneismypassport.This
summerIhadtheopportunitytojobshadownursesandmedicalprofessionalinIringa,Tanzaniafortwo
weeks.Whilsttravelingabroad,IwasrequiredtoshowmypassportwhenIleftthecountryandentered
anewone.MypassportwasmyidentificationtoofficialsthatIwasaUnitedStatesCitizen,andalso
meantIhadtopayanextrafreeforenteringAfricabutthatsbesidethepoint.Thesecondimagethatis
cementedinmybrainisanexperiencefromthefirstdayofmytwoweektrip.Mygroupwasreceivinga
touraroundthetownandalocalprofessorapproachedus.Hebegantoaskwherewewerefromandas
soonasthreeofussaidtheUnitedStates,heeyeswidened.Hedrilleduswithquestionsalongthelines
of:Areyouapartofthegovernment?DidyouvotetohavePresidentBarackObamainoffice?and
lastly,Wereyouapartofthedecisiontomakegaymarriagelegal?Ourgroupbegantoanswerbackbut
atthistimeIstatedthatIwaseithernotofageorratherdeniedalloftheseallegations.Reflectingback
nowIdisagreeononeofmythreeresponses.
Citizenshipisoftenviewedassocial.Agoodcitizenmakescontributionstosocietyandinteracts
withmemberinacommunity.TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsreflectstheideaoffreedom
tosocialize(Universal,n.d.).Weseerightssurroundingfreedomofspeech,expression,religion,and
opinion.Freedomtoownpropertyandaccesstoeducationcanbothbeconstructedtodemonstratesocial
freedomaswell.Ahouseoracademicfacilityissoughtoutasaplaceforconstantsocializingorplace
forgathering.Inordertobeagoodcitizen,youmustbewillingtosocializewithothermembersona
communalorfederallevel.
Acitizenisanindividualwhoactivelyparticipatesinsocietyintwoways.Byeitherpositively
impactingthecommunityorbymaintainingthepeacebyfollowinglaws.WhileIwasabroad,my
valuesdidnotdisappearbutratherheightenedbecauseIwasrepresentinganentirenation.Iwasthe
spokespersonforAmericaandthelocalsknewaswellbymyaccentandpaleskin.StatedintheUSCIS
CitizenshipRightsandResponsibilities,itisourresponsibilitytorespectrights,beliefs,andopinionsof
others(Citizenship,n.d.).ThisstatementshouldnotremainineffectwhileintheUnitedStatesbutall
overtheworldwhileactivelyparticipatingasanAmericancitizen.AsarepresentationoftheUnited
States,ourmannersshouldnotleaveusbecausewehaveenterednewterritory.

AfterreadingtheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRightsandtheUSCISCitizenshipRightsand
Responsibilities,Irecognizedsimilaritiesbetweenmydefinitionandthedescriptioninthesedocuments.
Onesimilarityistheoptiontoornottoparticipateinthegovernmentbyvoting.Idonotpersonally
partakeinthevotingprocesswhichiswhyIanswerednotothelocalAfricanwhenheaskedifIwas
involvedinPresidentObamaselectionorthelegalizingofgaymarriage.DoIthinkIamlackingasa
citizenbecauseofthisdecision?Maybe.IbelievethatIamnoteducatedenoughinpoliticstoinputmy
opinion.Withthatbeingsaidthelawisnotprohibitingmefromvoting,butrathermylackineducation
is.IhavethefreedomtoutilizeresourcestobenefitmyeducationonmyownbutifIamnotusingthese
resources,theonlyindividualIcanplaceblameismyself.
Itisahumanright,statedinArticle26oftheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,thatall
citizensshouldhaveequalaccesstoeducation(Universal,n.d.).Ibelievethisrightiswhatseparatesus
fromtherestoftheworld.WhileobservingatthelocalhospitalinIringa,anelevenyearoldboystepped
intotheofficewithalargemassonthebackofhishead.Thedoctordidnotlookasconcernedasshe
shouldhaveaboutthemassbutratherthechilditself.Theyoungboywasaccompaniedbyhisuncle
whowasindustyclothingsimilartothechild.Thedoctorbegantodiscussthesituationwiththeuncle
whiletheyoungboystaredattheground.PickingupverylittleSwahilionmytrip,wetriedtousewhat
weknewtocommunicatewiththechild.Thedoctorturnedtousandsaidourwordsmeantnothingto
himbecausehedidnotknowSwahilibutratheralocallanguagethatonlyfewspoke.Therearemore
than100locallanguagesinTanzaniaitself.Welaterfoundoutthatthechildneverattended
internationalschoolforstudyingEnglishorprimaryschoolatthat.Hestartedworkingforhisuncleat
theageofsevenandwouldcontinuebecauseheknewofnothingelsebutthat.Notonlywasthischild
lackingtherighttoequalaccessofeducation,buthisunclewasalsodictatinghisfuture.Itissaddening
tothinkthatintheUnitedStates,educationisaright,butalsomostoftentakenforgranted.Itis
importanttoappreciateallthatisgrantedtousbybeinganindividualwithanAmericancitizenship.

OnearticleIdeemasshockingisArticle19intheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights.
Article19statesthateveryonehastherighttofreedomofopinionandexpression(Universal,n.d.).
Mediainmyopinionislimitingourabilitytoexpressourselvesbecauseofoveropinionatedindividuals.
Fightsoutbreakoverpolitics,celebrityscandals,orparentingdecisions.AsanAmericanright,wehave
thefreedomtoexpressourselves.But,ifcitizensarenotfollowingthroughwiththeresponsibilityof
respectingopinions,thenthisiswherewestarttoseeaflawinthesystem.

Regardlessoftheamountoflawsputinplace,therearealwaysindividualswhowillchooseto
notfollowtherules.Asaresult,ourlegalsystemtakesaction.Itisahumanrighttohaveafairtrialby
jury.Inreturn,itisourresponsibilitytoserveasajurymemberperrequest.Theserightsareputinplace
tomaintainafairlegalsystemandrefrainfromoneindividualhavingtoomuchpower.Oneexamplein
demonstratinghowconsequencesofbreakingthelawcandirectusbackintoourcommunitythrough
serviceisrelatingtotrafficviolations.InJanuary,IwasdrivingfivehoursfromtheUniversityofNorth
CarolinaatCharlottetothetownofNewBern.IhavelivedinNewBernforsixyearsnowandhavea
cleancriminalandtrafficrecord.AsIapproachedthetown,acoppulledmeover.HeaskedmeifI
knewwhatspeedIwasgoingandIsaidyes.Itwasmyresponsibilityatthattimetoownuptomy
mistakesandtaketheconsequencesastheycame.MyfamilyhiredalawyerandIwasrequiredto
completethirtysixhoursofcommunityserviceinordertokeepmydrivinglicense.Ichosean
organizationthatwouldbenefitfrommythirtysixhoursoftime.IdecidedtovolunteerattheSafe
AllianceWomensShelter.EveryMondayIwouldreporttothekitchenandpreparemealstolaterserve
toresidentsattheshelter.ThisexperiencewasoneIwillneverforget.Althoughmyreasonfor
volunteeringwasbecauseitwasmandatory,Iwasparticipatinginthecommunityandpositively
impactingthewomenandchildrenthatIinteractedwith.Althoughthisexamplewassubdued,similaror
harsherconsequenceswillbemandateddependingontheseverityofthecase,whichthejurywould
assistindoing.

Switchinggearsbacktomyinitialthoughtinthefirstparagraph.Istatedthatmyperspectivehad
changedafterspeakingwiththeAfricanProfessor.DidIplayaroleinournationalgovernment?
Leadershipisacharacteristicthateverycitizenpossesswhethertheyknowitornot.Theabilityto
followrulesevenifhalfofsocietydisagreesshowstrueleadership.IamcurrentlyservingastheVice
PresidentRiskManagementformysorority,AlphaChiOmega,andservingastheCommunityService
ChairmanfortheNationalSocietyofLeadershipandSuccess.Thesearetwopositionsofleadershipthat
directlyaffectthecommunityonasociallevelbyinteractingeitherthroughdonationoftimeorgoods.
AsIreflectback,InowunderstandthatIdoplayaroleinthegovernment,indirectly.Servingin
leadershippositionsallowsmetohaveabetterunderstandingoftheUnitedStatesgovernmentand
overall,myeffortstopositivelyimpactmycommunityonalocallevelwillinturnimpactthe
communityonafederallevel.

Bibliography
CitizenshipRightsandResponsibilities.(n.d.).RetrievedAugust29,2015,from
http://www.uscis.gov/citizenship/learners/citizenshiprightsandresponsibilities
TheUniversalDeclarationofHumanRights,UDHR,DeclarationofHumanRights,Human
RightsDeclaration,HumanRightsCharter,TheUnandHumanRights.(n.d.).RetrievedAugust29,
2015,from
http://www.un.org/en/documents/udhr/index.shtml