Citizens must fulfill their obligations and duties to the communityIn our ever-changing world, how do we define “a citizen?” » Peter J. Gomes, in his speech “Civic Virtue and the Character of Following,” defines a citizen as “…one who belongs and one who has obligations” (206). He adds that a citizen has "...the notion of belonging, having an identity of which he is proud and by which he defines himself and having the obligation to share and serve in favor of this greater good" (206) . Webster's New World Dictionary defines a citizen as "a member of a nation by birth or naturalization," but a citizen is much more than that. A citizen not only has rights and privileges; he is a proud and active member of society. I define a citizen as one who understands and fulfills his obligations and duties to his community. Patriotism, love of country, is an ideal that every citizen should possess. I know many disagree. They believe that showing patriotism equates to arrogance, vanity and sends the message that we are superior to everyone else. I don't agree. After the September 11 attacks, our nation experienced a surge of patriotism. We were not simply individuals living among each other; we were Americans. We were proud to announce to the world that America is the greatest nation on earth. We were showing our love and support for the ideas America stands for: freedom, individual rights and tolerance. Even when we disagree with the policies of our government, we as citizens of the United States can be proud that we have the right in our country to openly disagree with those policies. To be considered a citizen, we need more than just feeling pride in our nation; citizenship also comes with duties and responsibilities...... middle of paper ...... our change will take place. John F. Kennedy said it best in his inaugural address: “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country.” » Works cited by Gomes. Rock. J. “Civic Virtue and the Character of Followership: A New Vision of an Old Hope.” The presence of others. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2000. 205-212. Kennedy. John. F. “1965 Presidential Inaugural Address.” Washington, DC, January 11, 1965. InforTrack (Academic Expanded ASAP). Howard Community College Library, Columbia, MD. October 22, 2002. .Ushkow. Mic. “Increases and decreases in participation”. Campaigns and elections. December/January V22. (2002): 10. InfoTrack (Academic expanded as soon as possible). Howard Community College Library, Columbia, MD. October 18 2002./>.