Show September 17 Is Citizenship Day I FOR MANY citizens the reaction reaction re- re action Is IsSo So what Which means that you never mIss the water till the well runs dry EVEN IF YOU were born an American citizen you are descended descended de- de from people who They became cItizens through the difficult processes of immigration and naturalization tion except for some who became became be- be came citizens of the Un United I ted States by establishing the United States by means of a war For those people citizenship not what so was a tion It was one of the things In their lives CITIZENSHIP means full fullme me membership in a country says W World Book Encyclopedia A I country and Its citizens are not really separate Citizenship I involves n vol ve s both civic and political rights as aswell aswell well as civic and political du- du ties Bills of rights In the United States Constitution and In state constitutions guarantee c civic I v i c rights to all Americans A child possesses civic rights such as the right to worship as he pleases pleas pleas- es from the moment he Is born IN TURN each citizen owes allegiance to his country It Is his civic duty to support his government obey its laws and defend his country Democratic govern government men t tails fails unless citizens show the same eagerness to serve theIr country that they expect the country to show in serving them them- World Book adds CITIZENSHIP Day first proclaimed by President Truman Truman Tru- Tru man In 1952 falls on a Saturday this year a day for tor golf for football for tor closing the summer cottage for tor raking up the first leaves of fall But It might be well to stop a moment and think of the people who won for you your citizenship in this nation of I immigrants immigrants' I whether they won It with musket and bayonet nearly years I Iago ago or by crossing the Atlantic in a reeking steerage In the or by riding on a DC 6 In 1948 AND THINK too of the people who will raise their rIght hands this and take the oath of allegiance to the United States the final step in becomIng becoming be- be comIng a naturalized citizen the oath that begins I hereby declare on oath that I absolutely and entirely renounce renounce re- re and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince potentate state or sovereignty sov- sov of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen that I will wUl support and defend the Constitution and laws of the against all enemies foreign and domestic domes domes- tic that I will wUl bear true faIth and allegiance IN FACT you OU might t even murmur that oath to yourself this Citizenship Day |