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What does it mean to be "American"? Is it nothing more than just a piece of paper that the government gives? (sh.itjust.works)

submitted 3 days ago* (last edited 3 days ago) by DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works to c/AskUSA@discuss.online

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[–] Fives@discuss.online 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You have to earn it in other countries, plus people coming to the US have to earn it as well.

We talk a lot about our freedoms and liberties in the US, but we don’t talk much about civic and personal responsibility to our neighbors, communities, and country. We look down on poor people and people unable to participate in the economy. We give away all of our power as citizens to people who exploit us.

We don’t participate in our own government.

I think citizenship and all it entails should be taught in schools, and once you’re nearly an adult, you take the exam and then you get your certificate or whatever, just like anything else.

I’m not saying that you wouldn’t have any rights until then - I’m viewing it more like an educational degree - but you would know a LOT more about how your government is supposed to work and what your actual rights and responsibilities are. I see it as empowering, not exclusionary.

[–] DeathByBigSad@sh.itjust.works 1 points 2 days ago (1 children)

You have to earn it in other countries

No, the kids automatically get citizenship via jus sangunis if one of their parents is a citizen. Some have it so that if one of the parents is a legal resident, the kids also automatically get citizenship by being born there.

They don't have to take a test to vote in elections... no idea where you got that info from.

you take the exam and then you get your certificate or whatever

I find it hard to trust in the government to administer these tests fairly and be unbiased...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literacy_test

From the 1890s to the 1960s, many state governments administered literacy tests to prospective voters, to test their literacy in order to vote. The first state to establish literacy tests in the United States was Connecticut.

State legislatures employed literacy tests as part of the voter registration process starting in the late 19th century. Literacy tests, along with poll taxes, residency and property restrictions, and extra-legal activities (violence and intimidation) were all used to deny suffrage to African Americans.

Oh btw, in Turkey, they require a college degree to become president... and guess what... the sitting president just uses corrupt shenanigans to get their opponent's degree revoked to get them out of the election...

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arrest_of_Ekrem_%C4%B0mamo%C4%9Flu#Annulment_of_university_degree

On 18 March 2025, Istanbul University annulled İmamoğlu's degree, citing irregularities. As Turkey's presidential candidates must hold a university degree, this would effectively block him from running for president. The decision came days before the opposition party was set to nominate him.

[–] Fives@discuss.online 1 points 2 days ago

I agree with your points. The scheme will fail because politicians will use it to punish groups of people they don’t like. I said in the beginning that I don’t know what the solution is, but somewhere along the way, we threw out our values of community, service, thrift, education, and fairness (among others) for “I got mine, fuck you.”

Citizenship doesn’t guarantee me equal protection under the law. It doesn’t guarantee me fair treatment, freedom from racism, bigotry, harassment, or currently keep me from being murdered or forcibly deported by my own government. It doesn’t guarantee me an education and it doesn’t get me food, clothing, shelter, or healthcare.

But if there are some brown people that my government wants to bomb, or some tax breaks they want to give to some billionaires, you can bet they will happily use my citizen tax dollars to do it.