I will be blogging at length about what it means to be a good villager, a good citizen, and yes, for my purposes, I like to use the two terms to mean similar things. I wanted to begin with a few thoughts. First, what is a citizen?
Merriam-Webster defines a citizen as ‘a person owing allegiance to and entitled to the protection of a sovereign state’. It is implied that the citizen is a free one, and the power of the state is held by the people for the people.
So, a political term, and one that implies rights and freedoms. It is strictly a human-focused term, there is no concept of humans as part of a greater society or whole. There is also no concept of personal or community responsibility for other people, for the environment, and for the uncountable living beings that are not considered citizens, but who are as much affected by human action as we are.
As citizens, we elect representatives who act on our behalf and in our best interest. We have no responsibility other than to elect the representatives, pay taxes, and follow the rules set out for us. This is enough for many to grumble – the perceived lack of control in the affairs of state, that is - but essentially, the release from personal responsibility is, to most, well worth having to pay and obey.
I’d like to see citizenship in a different way. Aside from the forced participation in arbitrary political constructs, our first duties and affiliation should be with the greater environment in which we live – the one without artificial boundaries such as time and place and species. With this kind of affiliation, there are no elections – each citizen is captain of his or her own ship, and must make appropriate responsible decisions. There are no laws other than to do the right thing – meaning do no harm – to ensure the survival of the environment.
Stay tuned. There is much more to say. I am converting gradually over to my new blogspace:
http://thegoodvillager.wordpress.com
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