Importance of Citizenship: Responsibilities and Consequences

Introduction

Anybody that is born or legally naturalized in the United States is considered to be an American citizen. Should it be possible for an individual to lose their right of being a citizen? The importance of citizenship is undeniable, as it defines one's identity and privileges within a nation. Although they are born in the United States, how is it possible for an individual to lose their rights to being a citizen? It is very much possible and the reasonings could vary. To break it down for you, I will be letting you know my side of this issue, and what I think about it.

Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities

To answer the question, I believe that it should most defiantly be possible for an individual to lose citizenship rights. I believe that as an American we should never voluntarily give up our citizenship (or in other words, renounce), but I also do not believe that we should never betray our country either. As a sports player myself, the number one thing you never want to do is quit or betray your teammates. This could back fire in many different ways, and could affect how you are looked at as a teammate and a person. In a way, this is the same as an American citizen. If you renounce your right or commit an act of treason, you can lose your citizenship.

Some may ask, what is treason? Treason is the crime of betraying one’s country, especially by attempting to kill the sovereign or overthrow the government. The penalty for treason is very serious. It could range from having to pay a huge fine, being imprisoned for life, or in some cases death. This crime is taken very serious and ultimately will take away your rights for being a citizen. I wouldn’t want a person who committed a crime like this to be a citizen as I am. I wouldn’t look at it to be fair, and I wouldn’t want a traitor to be considered a citizen like us.

Voluntary Renunciation and Its Consequences

Renouncing is different than treason. You voluntarily give up all of your rights, such as voting, government protection, etc. Why would anyone want to do that? As a human, we all don’t like certain laws or rules that are enforced upon us. So, the stingy side of us comes out where we would like to quit or we cannot afford to abide by the new laws so we believe there is no other way out except quit. People that renounce obviously know what they are doing, and they obviously do not want to be a part of the American citizenship anymore. In my opinion, because they know what they are doing they should NOT be allowed to restore their American life they had once before, and they deserve to have their citizenship taken away from them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, an individual should be able to lose their citizenship. Although it is not their choice to be born into the United States, they still have an agreement and if they cannot accept that, then they deserve to have their citizenship taken away. As I stated before, if you compare an athlete to a citizenship, the thing you never want to do is betray or quit. Ultimately, you will be looked and treated differently and you will not be able to return back to how things were before. Everything in life is a choice, so if you cannot abide by the simple rules, you shouldn’t be able to stay a citizen.  

Works Cited

1. 'Treason.' Legal Information Institute, Cornell Law School, www.law.cornell.edu/wex/treason.
2. 'Renunciation of U.S. Nationality Abroad.' U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Consular Affairs, travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/legal/travel-legal-considerations/us-citizenship/Renunciation-US-Nationality-Abroad.html.