Here's a question for each of us: Are we qualified to be citizens?

I came across this article last night and thought it brought out some good thought provoking points.

Joseph R. Reisert

Do you deserve to be a citizen? Do I?

Unless you immigrated to this country, it's a question you've probably never asked yourself. According to our Constitution, the only qualification most of us need to establish our citizenship is being born in the United States. Though we may be proud to be American citizens, we can hardly claim that we deserve to be citizens, since no one can take credit for having been born here rather than somewhere else.

Citizenship is a job, and almost no employment anyone has in private life involves making decisions nearly as consequential as the decisions we make as citizens. Citizenship carries with it the right to vote, the right to hold public office, the right to serve on juries, and the right to make financial contributions to political campaigns.

As jurors, we decide who is guilty or innocent, who is sent to jail or goes free. We decide responsibility in civil lawsuits. As voters, we decide who will hold office and thus determine what issues will or will not be addressed by our representatives. FULL STORY